The scientists have been given $6million (£4.6million) to work on the project. They hope to use cryogenically-liquified hydrogen fuel to power the aircraft. A team of researchers at the University of Illinois is leading the project.
Phillip Ansell, the project’s principal investigator, explained how the new planes could work during an interview with The Sun.
He said: “Essentially, the program focuses on the development of a fully electric aircraft platform that uses cryogenic liquid hydrogen as an energy storage method.
“The hydrogen chemical energy is converted to electrical energy through a series of fuel cells, which drive the ultra-efficient electric propulsion system.
“The low-temperature requirements of the hydrogen system also provide opportunities to use superconducting, or lossless, energy transmission and high-power motor systems.”
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2017 2 percent of human-produced carbon dioxide emissions came from air travel.
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However this is predicted to rise sharply over the coming years.
An IATA estimate suggests more passengers will fly by air in 2036 than the number of humans currently alive.
Combating climate change has become a contentious issue in both the US and UK.
In America Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called for a ‘Green New Deal’, which would see massive government funding poured into clean energy.
The British Government has committed to ending the use of coal in the UK energy system by 2025.
In April parts of London were brought to a standstill by Extinction Rebellion protestors, who are demanding a more aggressive campaign to combat climate change.
Westminster Bridge, Parliament Square and Oxford Circus were all occupied by the protestors.
In total the police made 1,130 arrests before the activism was called off.