Energy@UT News

UT Energy Week 2020 Examines 
Challenges, Opportunities Ahead

Held February 17-21, this year's UT Energy Week was inspired by the visions and uncertainties of the energy landscape in 2020. UTEW featured leaders and researchers from the private and public sectors who shared their expertise with over 700 guests. Thank you to the students of the Longhorn Energy Club and the organizations, colleges, departments, and centers who made the event such a success. More photos are available here. 

Groundbreaking Hydrogels Increase Access to Medicine & Fuel Production in Remote Areas

Cockrell School of Engineering researchers are reimagining on-demand production medicines and chemicals by developing water-based gels called hydrogels, which make them materials portable. The approach presents potential benefits for remote groups, as well as possible applications in fuel production and pharmaceuticals. Read more here.

Investors Restructure Portfolios with Climate in Mind

Climate change is being felt in a corner of the world different from where one might expect: Wall Street, where some of the biggest investors are starting to take action. That’s the finding of a first-ever survey of institutional investors conducted in part by Laura Starks at the McCombs School of Business. Read more about the survey and study here.

New Class of Super-Efficient Filtration Membranes Could Reduce Energy Use

A national team of researchers, led by Manish Kumar of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering has developed a new class of filtration membranes to be used for water purification, small-molecule separations, contaminant-removal processes, and more. These membranes simulate the same filtration processes that occur in nature, and could reduce energy consumption, costs and production time. Read more here.

Oilfield Water Reuse Could Be Key for Future of Fracking

Two new studies from UT's Jackson School of Geosciences and Bureau of Economic Geology are providing clarity on the complicated water management issues that arise from hydraulic fracturing in the nation's major oil plays. Both studies, led by Bridget Scanlon, found that water recycling and reuse will be critical to maintaining U.S. shale production. Read more here.

UT Researchers Present on Electric Vehicles & Clean Transportation

A team from the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering recently presented a series of papers on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from work travel, responding to demand for EV charging infrastructure, vertical take-off and landing vehicles, and the electrification of public transport at the Transportation Review Board and Bridging Transportation Researchers conference. 

UT Energy Symposium: 
New Date & Time for Spring 2020

This semester, the UT Energy Symposium (UTES) series features guest speakers from Texan by Nature, University of Michigan, Harvard Law, TX Advanced Energy Business, Carnegie Mellon, UC Santa Barbara, and more. The symposium, which is free and open to the public, is held on Tuesdays in the Avaya Auditorium (POB 2.302) from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. See the full schedule here.