What Starts Here Energizes the World

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Thursday, March 30, 2023

UT Energy Week 2023 — What Starts Here Energizes the World

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Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:00 – 9:15 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Crum Auditorium, Rowling Hall, RRH 1.400, 300 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78705

Policy Approaches to Decarbonization, Keynote Address

9:15 – 10:00 AM
Keynote Address: Policy Approaches to Decarbonization: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Countries are taking many different approaches to decarbonization. To highlight one important contrast, the EU, China, Canada and many other countries rely significantly on carbon pricing, while the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act doubles down on subsidies for climate-friendly technologies. Many countries and, indeed, sub-national governments (states, cities, and so on) with decarbonization policies take a mix of approaches, including prices and subsidies, as well as technology standards, performance standards, information disclosure, and others. From an economic perspective, there are upsides and downsides to all of these decarbonization policy tools — hence, “the good, the bad and the ugly.” This talk will sketch out the important differences between these approaches and discuss the empirical evidence for their effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, capacity to induce technological change that reduces the long-run cost of decarbonization, and political acceptability.

Professor Sheila Olmstead, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin • View PDF slides • Watch video

10:00 – 10:15 AM
Break

The Future of Clean Hydrogen in Texas

10:15 – 11:15 AM
Panel: The Future of Clean Hydrogen in Texas • View recording
Many see hydrogen production as a holy grail of low carbon energy. Companies appear excited about the fuel’s possibilities, as well. Firms have collectively announced more than half-trillion dollars of investment directed at tapping hydrogen’s potential. This panel will break down the science behind hydrogen, why the potential is enticing, and explore why people should care about the future of hydrogen. Some questions to consider: Why are major oil and gas companies investing in the space and do these investments indicate a reprioritization of resources away from their traditional moneymakers, oil and gas? Why does the Gulf Coast make sense for these projects? How much of the existing infrastructure can be used? What are the potential safety or environmental concerns of hydrogen projects? How large are the economic opportunities that these hydrogen projects bring to the region and how do they compare to any concerns?
Moderator: Andy Uhler, Energy Journalism Fellow, Energy Institute, The University of Texas at Austin; Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University

Featured Panelists:

The Inflation Reduction Act: Impact on Energy

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
Panel: The Inflation Reduction Act: Impact on Energy • View recording
With nearly $400 billion directed to incentivizing clean energy, the impact of the IRA on the energy industry will be substantial. Around $260 billion of this $400 billion will be in the form of consumer and corporate tax incentives such as the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and Production Tax Credit (PTC) over the next decade. Some of the questions that this panel will explore include: Who will be providing the tax equity to claim the tax credits, and what are the rules that the IRA creates? How will it influence the existing $20B tax equity market? Who is really receiving the benefit from the generous federal tax credits — large finance firms and energy investors, or will this act allow smaller businesses to enter the clean energy space? What is the potential of the transferability and refundability of tax credits under the IRA to include new firms and technologies in the energy transition? How will the proposed tax credits benefit traditional households, and will the benefits be equitable and effective? What are other decarbonization strategies (e.g. CCUS and Hydrogen) and tax incentives covered under the IRA? Will clean energy incentives such as EV tax credits to individual drivers meaningfully reduce emissions, or will most of the benefit come through corporate and nonprofit action?
Moderator: Shawn Cumberland, Managing Partner, Energy Transition, EnCap Investments, L.P.

Featured Panelists:

  • Luke Bassett, Former Senior Professional Staff Member Advising Chairman Joe Manchin III, U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
  • Andy Bowman, Chief Executive Officer, Jupiter Power LLC
  • Jay Chang, Managing Director, CCA Group
  • Courtney Mooney, Director, Investor Relations, RBC Capital Markets
12:15 – 1:00 PM
Lunch | Light Networking

Between Two Cacti with Brian Korgel: Jeff Miers

1:00 – 1:30 PM
Between Two Cacti with Brian Korgel: Jeff Miers of AWS Talks about the Energy Future
In this 30 minute episode of “Between Two Cacti,” Energy Institute Director Brian Korgel will discuss with Jeff Miers, the Global Director of Partnerships and Alliances for the Energy & Utilities Industry Business Unit at Amazon Web Services (AWS), how emerging innovations and partnerships at AWS and Amazon are helping to meet their company’s ambitious net zero greenhouse gas emissions goals.

View PDF slides • Watch video

Making Sense of Data, Keynote Address

1:45 – 2:30 PM
Keynote Address: Making Sense of Data: Accurate Carbon Accounting Across Global Energy Supply Chains
Innovations in technology are revolutionizing our approach to monitoring carbon emissions. Satellites, aerial and autonomous drone surveys, and continuous monitoring systems can now provide near real-time data on greenhouse gas emissions across global energy supply chains. How do we make sense of the incoming onslaught of data? And more importantly, how can we build trust in carbon accounting systems if the methods of interpreting data remain hidden? And what new policies, market, and financial products could be enabled by a vast improvement in our carbon accounting approach?

Arvind Ravikumar, Research Associate Professor and Co-Director, Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab, Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin • View recording

Moving Toward an Equitable Energy Future

2:30 – 3:30 PM
Panel: Moving Toward an Equitable Energy Future • View recording
Governments and corporations are implementing policies to drive sustainable and equitable economic growth for a low-carbon energy future and to address the harmful impact of climate change and its social, economic, and environmental injustices. To be effective, these new policies must ensure that climate solutions are equitable for communities that have been marginalized or disproportionately impacted by economic and energy policies of the past. Climate solutions must stem from strong relationships with local communities and be developed with those communities, not simply for them. This panel will discuss collaborative frameworks to help governments, corporations, and communities build regional capacity and align solution creation for an equitable energy future.
Moderator: Dana Harmon, Founder and Principal, Juniper Advisory Group

Featured Panelists:

3:30 – 3:45 PM
Break

The Permian Basin as a Model Regional Energy Innovation Hub

3:45 – 4:50 PM
Panel: The Permian Basin as a Model Regional Energy Innovation Hub • View recording
To significantly reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions and help mitigate climate change, industry, government, and community leaders around the world are committing to and investing in decarbonization of the energy sector and transitioning away from carbon-intensive energy sources. The resulting need for advanced, energy technology solutions and new business models offers tremendous potential for economic growth in regions that take advantage of the opportunities — developments that should enhance community resilience and climate security. At the same time, it is imperative that we begin now to foster and educate an advanced energy workforce. We need to begin locally to ensure that the Permian Basin thrives as new technologies are adopted. Without this workforce, the energy transition could prompt economic uncertainty and adversity in these communities vulnerable to change in the energy landscape.

The Permian Basin is the largest oil- and gas-producing region in the nation, relying heavily on extractive industries. With growing adoption of renewable power generation and high potential for carbon and hydrogen storage, the region is now at the crossroads of the national agenda to transition to a low-carbon future. The emerging energy future presents unique economic opportunities for the region, providing a much-needed pathway toward economic diversification. This panel will discuss the opportunities to create strategic cross-sector partnerships and leverage the workforce capabilities and deep energy-research expertise already on the ground in the Permian Basin that could propel the region to become the national and global leader in advanced energy innovations and robust clean energy economies.

Moderator: Andy Uhler, Energy Journalism Fellow, Energy Institute, The University of Texas at Austin; Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University

Featured Panelists:

Concluding Remarks

4:50 – 5:00 PM
Concluding Remarks

UT Energy Week Thursday Receptions

5:00 – 7:00 PM
Campus Reception
Sponsored by The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. Join the UT Energy Institute for drinks and refreshments, live jazz, and further discussion of the future of energy and the Permian Basin.

AT&T Hotel and Conference Center Courtyard

Registration Link

5:30 – 7:00 PM
The KBH Energy Center Networking Reception
Sponsored by Kirkland & Ellis. The KBH Center, in collaboration with Kirkland and Ellis, invites you to join us for a reception at the Four Seasons Hotel. This will be an opportunity to network with energy industry professionals and students. We will provide beverages, passed appetizers, and live music. We hope to see you there!

The Four Seasons Hotel, 98 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701

Registration Link

Event Sponsors

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