The world today produces and consumes more energy than ever before in the history of humankind. Fossil fuels, unique in their affordability and versatility, continue to underwrite economic development and the promise of higher standards of living. To that end, new discoveries—uncovered in university laboratories—have enabled exploration in unconventional environments and unlocked bountiful new resources in coal, oil and natural gas. At the same time a new dogma has overtaken much of the energy industry. Consumers are demanding environmentally sustainable solutions to satisfy their energy appetites. These ecological constraints, coupled with exponential growth in the rate of technological discovery, have opened a dynamic new frontier of energy innovation. We are witnessing new models for business, regulation, finance, and government intervention– all of which aim to bridge a transition between the current landscape and a future that satisfies our economic, social, and environmental values.
This changing landscape provides fertile ground for debate and discussion. What is the future of natural gas and what does an outlook of suppressed wellhead prices mean for the rest of the U.S. economy? What technologies are likely to shape our resource consumption over the next 20 years? What impact will the surging economies of China, India, and Southeast Asia have on the supply and demand for energy commodities? There are no easy answers to these questions or the myriad others that fracture public opinion, but informed decision-making is possible when leading minds from industry, academia, and government convene and craft good policy based on good science.
The mission of the UT Energy Forum is to provide such a platform—an event for diverse communities to engage each other on the latest developments in energy policy, energy markets, and energy technology research. Will you add your voice to the conversation?
The University of Texas at Austin (UT) Energy Forum is an entirely student-initiated and student-run event with the purpose of educating the nation about emerging energy issues and promoting communication and collaboration between industry leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and academia.
Founded in 2010, the UT Energy Forum was created by students in the McCombs School of Business. Since then it has grown to involve students from the Cockrell School of Engineering, Jackson School of Geosciences, LBJ School of Public Affairs, School of Architecture, and School of Law. The event is organized and created entirely by graduate students who collaborate to create a program that is representative of the best research and most pressing concerns across a variety of disciplines.
The conference caters to issues of shared concern among industry, academia, government, and NGO communities. Consequently, our speakers and attendees represent perspectives from each of these groups.
Inquiries about the event can be directed to leadership@utenergyforum.com.
