Rural communities are some of the most politically disenfranchised when it comes to climate policy, and last year’s National Climate Change Report showed they’re also among the most at risk when it comes to the effect of climate change. This could mean stronger storms, more intense droughts and earlier freezes.

A new engineering research center was officially launched at the University of Illinois Thursday, with the goal of cramming more power into smaller spaces.  The Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems - POETS for short - will take on the challenges of improving mobile electronics and vehicle design.