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UT Energy Bulletin | February 2023

Energy@UT News

New Research on Salt Deposits and the Energy Transition  

A recent study released by UT Austin’s Bureau of Economic Geology found that underground salt deposits could play a key role in the energy transition. Knowledge from exploration and mining and decades of data and research on hydrocarbons could enable energy transition technologies such as hydrogen storage and CO2 sequestration. Read more about their findings. 

Solutions Identified by Energy Researchers Following Winter Storm Uri 

Webber Energy Group researchers analyzed why Texas was unprepared for Winter Storm Uri in 2021 and offered solutions beyond building more power plants. Read the findings of authors Michael Webber, Drew Kassel, Joshua Rhodes, and Matthew Skiles in The Conversation. 

UT PGE Hosts 3rd Annual Energy AI Hackathon 

Last month, the UT Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering Department hosted the 3rd Annual Energy AI Hackathon. About 100 students from departments and programs across UT Austin participated in the multi-day event. Read more about the hackathon and see competition results. 

The Debate on University Fossil Fuel Divestment Continues

The UT System has a multi-billion-dollar endowment largely as a result of energy projects sited on University Lands. The Daily Texan recently reported on the endowment and one student organization at the forefront of the fight for university fossil fuel divestment. 

UT Researchers Partner with GTI Energy on New Project 

UT researchers with the Center for Electromechanics and the Webber Energy Group in the Cockrell School of Engineering will work with GTI Energy on a new DOE-funded project to develop a hydrogen-ready transportation corridor along I-10, including the Texas Triangle. Read more about this project and the other projects announced by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. 

Announcing the UT Austin Call for Student Innovation

The Genesis Fund at UT Austin recently announced a call for student innovation. Genesis offers a unique opportunity for UT Austin students to meet with industry leaders, other startup founders and investors to make a meaningful impact, get hands-on experience in the world of science, engineering and business, and potentially receive startup funding. Find more information and apply here by March 31, 2023. 

News from Around Campus  
  • Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering: Ofodike Ezekoye was quoted by NBC News explaining why fires caused by faulty lithium-ion batteries are especially difficult for fire departments to manage. 

  • Cockrell School of Engineering: Michael Webber spoke with the Texas Tribune about how the reliability gained by burying power lines might justify the added initial cost compared to overhead power lines. Read more about calls to rethink how Texas cities prepare for winter weather following the freezing temperatures and ice storms in early February 2023.  

  • Center for Electromechanics: Robert Hebner wrote an op-ed calling on Texas government organizations, utilities, and co-ops to work together to proactively assess and mitigate the risks that could interrupt electricity service to Texas customers rather than reacting to the most recent issue. 

  • Energy Institute: David Tuttle discussed the logistical and cost challenges of burying power lines in older areas with the Austin American-Statesman. 

  • Webber Energy Group: Yael Glazer discussed with KUT that since the number of “customers” without power that utilities report during an outage is a count of electricity meters rather than individual people, more people were affected by the outages during the February 2023 winter storm than might initially have been apparent. 

  • Cockrell School of Engineering | Webber Energy Group: Joshua Rhodes told E&E News that, while the winterization of power plants required by recently-approved reliability standards is necessary, the new rules do not address the fact that if the natural gas supply to power plants is interrupted—as was the case in 2021 due to Winter Storm Uri—even winterized plants will be unable to generate electricity. 

  • College of Natural Sciences | Department of Physics: Todd Ditmire discussed the recent fusion energy technology breakthrough with Laser Focus World. Read more about the science of the laser-driven fusion energy and what is needed to take this technology to commercialization.  

  • Energy Institute: Jorge Piñon was quoted by La Prensa Latina on Cuba’s electricity system and short-term solutions to the problem.

Upcoming Events

Register Now: UT Energy Week 2023
March 28 – 31, 2023
UT Austin Campus
  
Register now for UT Energy Week 2023 to learn about the energy research that makes UT Austin the world’s premier energy university. Hosted by the Energy Institute and the KBH Energy Center, the annual event comprises four days of panels, keynotes, and special events. Register here.

Earn CEUs at UT Energy Week with Texas Engineering Executive Education (TxEEE). For one fee, participants can obtain 0.658 CEU credits for the six energy panels taking place Tuesday and Wednesday of the week. Learn more here.

Planet Texas 2050 Symposium  
February 28 – March 2, 2023   
UT Austin Campus  

Planet Texas 2050 is hosting their annual symposium on applied interdisciplinary research on climate resilience, adaptation, and equitable and just transition strategies from February 28 through March 2. Find more information and RSVP here. 

A Conversation with Oxy CEO Vicki Hollub 
March 3, 2023
2 – 3pm   
UT Austin, GLT 5.104  

Join the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum & Geosystems Engineering on March 3 as they host Oxy President and CEO Vicki Hollub for a conversation on the role of the oil and gas industry in a sustainable energy future. See the event flyer here. 

The International Battery Materials Association 2023 International Conference (IBA23) 
March 5 – 10, 2023 
EER Building, UT Austin Campus

Registration is open for the IBA23 conference on research advances related to battery materials, characterization techniques, and new battery chemistries/systems. IBA23 will be held at the Engineering Education and Research Center (EER) on UT Austin’s campus on March 5 – 10. Find more information and register here. 

OPEC within the Global Energy Transition Distinguished Lecture
March 8, 2023
12:00 – 2:00pm

School of Law, Eidman Courtroom (CCJ 2.306)

Join the Institute for Transnational Law and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Business, Law & Policy for a distinguished lecture on OPEC within the global energy transition by OPEC General Counsel and Texas Law alum Leonardo Sempertegui (LL.M. ’09). Lunch will be served. Register here.

Now Enrolling: Carbon Offset Deals & Economics  
March 9, 2023  
9:00am – 1:00pm 
Online 

The Carbon Offset Deals & Economics course will educate and equip energy, carbon capture, and financial professionals with tools and resources to calculate the value of carbon credits and prepare for transactions. Find the course description and more information here.  

Methane Emissions in the Natural Gas Supply Chain
March 22 and March 24, 2023
10 am 
– 12pm
Online via Zoom

This professional development course led by UT Professors David Allen and Michael Webber will cover best practices to manage and optimize methane emissions. See this webpage for the course description and more information.  

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