No sun? No problem! Scientists grow plants using electricity instead

Added on 12 March 2025

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No sun? No problem! Scientists grow plants using electricity instead

Image by wirestock on Freepik

It’s no secret that plants rely on sunlight to survive. Photosynthesis, the process of converting solar energy into food, has shaped the planet’s ecosystems and driven the evolution of life on Earth. But what if plants didn’t need the sun? What if food could grow in complete darkness—powered not by photons, but by electricity?

Scientists are now exploring a radical departure from traditional agriculture: electro-agriculture, or electro-ag. By feeding plants acetate, a compound derived from carbon dioxide (CO₂) using electrolysis, they have created a system that bypasses photosynthesis altogether. This technology, described in a new paper published in Joule, could revolutionize food production, slashing land use, conserving water, and making farming possible in areas previously considered unsuitable.