UT Energy Week 2019

February 4, 2019 – February 8, 2019

About 600 attendees joined energy experts representing a variety of perspectives at UT Energy Week 2019, which was held on the UT Austin campus February 4-8, 2019, and explored a wide range of pressing energy issues facing society.

The fifth annual UT Energy Week conference was organized by the student-run Longhorn Energy Club in collaboration with the university’s Energy Institute and was supported by the Jackson School of Geosciences, the Cockrell School of Engineering, the KBH Center for Energy, Law & Business and the McCombs Energy Initiative, along with schools and colleges engaged in energy-related research across the UT campus.

In addition to panels and presentations, the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, and Energy Law hosted two days of continuing education courses during the weeklong event. The KBH Center for Energy, Law & Business and the McCombs Energy Initiative also sponsored a one-day symposium, Permian 2025.

Scott Tinker, director of UT’s Bureau of Economic Geology, delivered a keynote address to open the conference, The Impact of Energy Poverty on the Global Energy Transition.

Matthew Haley, president of the Longhorn Energy Club, said UT Energy Week provided students a great opportunity to hear from leading experts on a variety of important topics.

This year’s event featured panel discussions on de-carbonization of the U.S. economy, resource adequacy on Texas’ electric grid, prospects for large-scale energy storage, the tipping point for electric vehicles, and more.

“Students had a chance to learn from people who are at the forefront of some critically important issues,” Haley said, noting that the conference also allowed UT students to illustrate their research in a poster competition.

Jenny Sauer, vice president of the Longhorn Energy Club, said the conference has something for just about anyone interested in the world of energy.

“Even if you’re not doing an energy program here at UT … chances are you’re going to find it pretty interesting,” she said.

Energy Institute Director Varun Rai said the conference is an example of the spirt of collaboration that is vital to solving complex energy problems.

“This is great example of faculty and students working together to discuss new research and examine key energy issues,” Rai said. “I want to thank our students for their outstanding effort in putting together this excellent program and in creating a forum to demonstrate the breadth and depth of energy expertise at UT Austin.”

This year’s conference also included a tour of UT Austin’s renowned power plant and micro-grid system and continuing education sessions for high-school science teachers.

For more about UT Energy Week 2019, watch a short video about the conference.