20/20 Energy Vision

February 17, 2020 – February 21, 2020

UT Energy Week 2020 was the sixth annual UT Energy Week conference and was co-hosted by two student-run organizations, the Longhorn Energy Club and the Texas Journal for Oil, Gas, and Energy Law (TJOGEL), in partnership with The University of Texas at Austin Energy Institute, the McCombs Energy Initiative, and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Energy, Law & Business. The conference was also supported by schools and colleges engaged in energy research across the UT Austin campus, including the Cockrell School of Engineering, McCombs School of Business, LBJ School for Public Policy, Jackson School of Geosciences, and more.

UT Energy Week is designed to showcase the interdisciplinary collaboration and sharing of expertise we believe is essential in identifying and solving complex energy problems facing our world. Our goal for the conference is three-fold: to create a platform for experts representing varying points of view to provide their insights on vital energy issues and emerging trends; to highlight the work of UT Austin students involved in energy research; and to demonstrate the depth and breadth of knowledge among scientists and other researchers at UT Austin, the energy university.

The UT Energy Week 2020 program was inspired by Texas’s unique energy legacy and the concept of “2020 vision.” In 2020, governments and corporations were expected to face intense pressure to declare and invest in ambitious energy visions that would shape global dynamics and daily life for decades to come. Yet, uncertainties about international relations, supply chains, technological developments, and social and financial consequences blur any chance that perfect 20/20 vision would inform these energy decisions. UT Energy Week panelists explored the tension between uncertainty and urgency for action as they discussed topics including critical minerals, advanced fuels, energy policy in developing nations, the role of the United States and the corporation in international agreements, and more.

In addition to four full days of dynamic panels and speakers, UT Energy Week also included the following events:

Energy Analytics Session: February 17
Presented in partnership with UT’s Center for Analytics and Transformative Technologies (CATT)
The Energy Analytics session highlighted several exciting aspects of the applications of analytics in energy markets. Energy Analytics can be very broadly thought of as quantitative methods in the energy industry and includes artificial intelligence, machine learning, mathematical modeling, and optimization. The workshop brought together speakers who highlighted trends and applications in both academia and the industry. See the agenda here.
Student Research Competition: February 18
Thanks to sponsorship from the Cockrell School of Engineering, the student energy research poster competition offered cash prizes for students who presented their research on innovative approaches to solving energy challenges. The three categories of submissions included 1) renewable or alternative energy and energy storage technologies, 2) emerging oil & gas technologies and solutions, and 3) economic, policy, and legal analyses. Students of all academic disciplines were encouraged to submit abstracts to be included in the event.
Networking Reception: February 18
A networking reception was held concurrently with the student research competition industry. UT Energy Week panelists and conference guests were encouraged to attend and meet UT’s brightest energy students!
Women in Energy Breakfast: February 19
UT Energy Week 2020 introduced the inaugural Women in Energy breakfast, held the morning of February 19.