UT Energy Week 2026 To Bring Together Leaders From Industry, Government and Academia

The University of Texas at Austin will host UT Energy Week 2026 on April 6-10, convening energy leaders, researchers, policymakers and students for five days of panels, keynotes, networking and hands-on competitions. Free and open to the public, the conference will be held at UT's San Jacinto Hall and is co-hosted by UT's Energy Institute and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center.

An annual event held since 2015, UT Energy Week has grown into an expansive cross-sector energy conference. This year's program reflects the breadth of challenges and opportunities shaping the energy landscape - from nuclear power and geothermal resources to artificial intelligence infrastructure and critical minerals - drawing voices from across academia, government agencies and the private sector.

"The scope of UT Energy Week reflects the incredible breadth and depth of energy research and education at UT and how rapidly the energy landscape is evolving in Texas and beyond," said Brian Korgel, director of the UT Energy Institute and the Rashid Engineering Regents Chair Professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering. "Bringing together students, researchers, policymakers and industry leaders into the same room allows us to tackle big challenges from very different angles and arrive at actionable solutions. For our students, it's a chance to learn, innovate, network and envision their own unique career paths."

The week opens Monday, April 6, with the Texas Nuclear Symposium: Powering Texas Forward, a full-day exploration of nuclear energy's expanding role in the state. Topics span grid resilience, digital twin technology, medical imaging applications, regulatory frameworks and student research.

Tuesday focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship, with the Strategic Energy Seed Grant Showcase spotlighting UT research projects, UT student energy startup founders, an evening startup pitch event, and a keynote address on artificial intelligence and high-performance computing in the energy sector. Additionally, the Texas Military Department and UT's Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors will host an affiliated one-day event - Energy for National Defense. Attendees must RSVP for the event, where they can hear directly from military leaders, program managers and engineers about national defense energy challenges and operational requirements.

Wednesday brings a full slate of panel discussions on topics including critical minerals and geopolitical stability, sustainable resourcing for AI and data centers, environmental policymaking and geothermal energy applications, as well as a tour of UT's Carl J. Eckhardt Combined Heating & Power Complex - one of the largest microgrids in the United States.

Thursday's panels examine nuclear power's future, data center energy demands, energy advocacy in Texas policymaking, and U.S. solar manufacturing as well as interdisciplinary case competition and energy mentorship opportunities.

The week concludes Friday with the Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center's half-day summit, Powering the Next Decade, focused on U.S. power needs, battery storage, AI infrastructure and the policy frameworks shaping Texas' economic growth.

The speaker roster reflects the conference's cross-sector ambitions. Participants include Dale Klein, former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and UT professor emeritus; Anne-Laure Chassanite, CEO of Engie Resources for ENGIE North America; Omead Afshar, former senior executive at Tesla; and industry leaders from ExxonMobil, Shell, Google, GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, and Compass Datacenters, among others. Government participants will include representatives from the Public Utility Commission of Texas, ERCOT, the Railroad Commission of Texas and Austin Energy.

UT Austin experts from the Cockrell School of Engineering, Jackson School of Geosciences, College of Natural Sciences, McCombs School of Business and Moody College of Communication will also present their research and participate in panel discussions throughout the week.

To view the full program and register to attend, visit sites.utexas.edu/energy-week.