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Exxon's Bell Labs Ambition
- Exxon aimed to be the "Bell Labs of Energy," building a broad in-house research arm across nuclear, solar, batteries, and climate science.
- Exxon hired top talent, poached Bell Labs director Ed David, planned a Clinton NJ campus, and funded projects like the tanker CO2 study to legitimize its role in energy transition.
Young Scientists Built Advanced Energy R&D
- Early Exxon teams worked on batteries, solar panels, and storage with PhD-level researchers and academic collaborations.
- Garvey recalled being sent back to school, turning an Exxon project into his dissertation and working alongside battery chemists and solar researchers.
Tanker Project Measured CO2 Across The Equator
- The tanker project measured CO2 across the Atlantic and equator using custom instruments designed by Exxon scientists to reduce ship noise.
- Garvey and Henry Shaw adapted a gas chromatograph, took ~10 readings/hour, and partnered with Lamont-Doherty and Scripps methods for ocean-atmosphere data.