Energy@UT News

New Initiative Positions Texas as Geothermal Leader for Clean Energy 

With a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Cockrell School of Engineering is launching an initiative that aims to make UT a national hub for geothermal energy expertise and startups. The new Geothermal Entrepreneurship Organization will also engage UT’s Jackson School of Geosciences, Bureau of Economic Geology, and the College of Natural Sciences to develop technologies and research for the geothermal energy industry. Read more here.
 

Using Silicon to Split Photons May Remake Energy Efficiency

UT and University of California researchers have discovered a new way to convert blue photons into pairs of red photons using silicon (and back again) to improve energy efficiency. Their research can potentially improve the efficiency of silicon-based solar panels, and holds other implications in quantum computing and the medical arena. Read the full story here.
 

Ramping Up Carbon Capture Could be Key to Mitigating Climate Change

As world leaders debate how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a new joint study from UT's Gulf Coast Carbon Center, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Equinor Research Centre makes the case that trapping emissions underground can help meet 13 percent of the United Nation’s global emissions reduction goals. Read more here.
 

UT's Operations Research and Industrial Engineering program will combine cutting-edge research with a transformative model for STEM graduate education that examines food-energy-water systems, with support from a major National Science Foundation grant. Read more here.
 

Claudia Mora Appointed Dean of Jackson School

The University of Texas at Austin has named Claudia Mora the next dean of the Jackson School of Geosciences. Her appointment will begin February 1, 2020. Dean-designate Mora comes to UT Austin from Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she serves as the deputy division leader of the Chemistry Division. Read more about Dr. Mora here.
 

Diversify to Avoid a Repeat of Blackouts, Study Suggests

If states want to avoid costly electricity failures such as the blackouts that roiled California recently, they can improve their odds by diversifying power sources, according to new research from the McCombs School of Business. Read more here.