UT Energy Bulletin

UT Energy Bulletin | June 2026

Energy@UT News

UT Austin Names New Vice President for Research

Dr. Fernanda Leite has been officially appointed as UT Austin’s Vice President for Research. An award-winning researcher with 16 years on the Forty Acres, Dr. Leite specializes in construction engineering, focusing on the integration of 3D modeling and artificial intelligence. In her time as interim VP, she has successfully distributed millions in seed funding to campus researchers, established critical secure infrastructure for national defense technology, and championed UT's leadership in areas of national priority with federal and private agencies.

Read the Full Announcement

Introducing "Between Two Cacti," A New Podcast from the UT Energy Institute

The UT Energy Institute’s conversation series Between Two Cacti is now available as a podcast. Recorded live at Energy Institute events and hosted by EI Director Brian Korgel, the series features discussions with policymakers, industry executives, and researchers shaping the future of energy.

Listen to the Latest Episode Now

Texas Grid Queue Shifts as Gas Surpasses Wind Amid Federal Permitting Stalls

Energy Institute Journalism Fellow Brandon Mulder highlights a significant shift in Texas' energy landscape: for the first time in a decade, natural gas-powered generation has overtaken wind power in the state's grid interconnection queue. Driven largely by an explosion of data centers seeking 24/7 reliability, gas projects have jumped by more than 400% over the last three years. This shift comes as the U.S. Department of Defense pauses review of permits for new wind turbine installations, leaving 54 Texas onshore wind projects in limbo.

UT Engineering Researchers Pioneer Nuclear Safety Solutions

As Texas expands its nuclear energy footprint, Cockrell School of Engineering researchers are pioneering technologies to ensure infrastructure safety. Researchers are developing seismic hazard assessments, revolutionizing waste management using autonomous sensors, and designing remote robotic deployment of these sensors in hazardous environments. Together, their approaches provide the scalable safety solutions necessary to support a sustainable nuclear future.

UT Austin Professor to Lead New Sustainable Energy Expansion Program

Dr. Ryosuke Okuno, professor in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, will lead the new Energi Simulation Industrial Affiliate Program on Sustainable Energy Expansion (EnergiX) at UT Austin. The newly established IAP will address the challenges of energy demand and long-term climate change by developing scalable technologies bridging conventional and low-carbon energy systems.

Cockrell School Dean Honored with International Rheology Medal

Dr. Roger Bonnecaze, dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering, has been awarded the prestigious Eugene C. Bingham Medal by the Society of Rheology. Over a 20-year career, Bonnecaze has used unique computational simulations and experiments to design materials with specific properties for advanced applications like 3D printing and injectable biomaterials. He will be formally recognized this October at the annual Society of Rheology meeting in Boston, where he will deliver the annual Bingham Lecture.

UT Energy Institute Hosts Energy Delegation from Argentina

The UT Energy Institute recently welcomed a delegation from AmCham Argentina and the IAPG Energy Program to discuss the future of global energy systems and economic development. Key discussions focused on energy system reliability, subsurface energy systems, and shale basin comparisons between the Permian, Eagle Ford, and Argentina's Vaca Muerta. UT researchers Dr. Sergio Castellanos, Dr. Hugh Daigle, and Dr. Toti Larson shared their expertise to help strengthen the growing energy partnership between Texas and Argentina.

Bureau of Economic Geology Launches New FIELD NOTES Publication

The Bureau of Economic Geology has introduced FIELD NOTES, a biannual publication showcasing insights across energy, environment, and economics. The inaugural issue, "Water and the Lone Star State," focuses on the Texas Applied Water Research Team's efforts to tackle critical questions about usable water availability, the connection between water and energy systems, and flood and natural hazard risk reduction.

Read FIELD NOTES Here

Featured Publication

Grid Capacity Expansion under Data Centers and Electrified Manufacturing Large Loads

The study considers the optimal expansion of power grids under emerging large loads from data centers and electrified manufacturing. The results show that power generation from renewables and natural gas, coupled with storage, is needed to meet rapidly growing electricity demand. Moreover, the construction time of grid assets substantially impacts investment timing, generation technology mix, and transmission capacity expansion.

Read the Preprint

News From Around Campus

Bureau of Economic Geology

Brent Elliott was quoted in The Texas Tribune, mentioning that Texas’s exceptionally lithium‑rich brines position the state to become a major supplier of the lithium needed by the US military for advancing batteries and energy technologies.

Webber Energy Group

Joshua Rhodes was quoted in Texas Standard , The Texas Tribune, Houston Public Media, and E&E News , explaining that the surge in proposed data centers is heavily inflated, making it essential for ERCOT to adopt a process that separates real projects from speculative ones. He mentioned concerns about data centers’ electricity and water demands and the regulatory steps ERCOT and the PUC must take to manage the sector’s rapid growth.

Rhodes was also cited in The Texas Energy and Power Newsletter, noting that uncertainty around data‑center load projections is slowing grid‑connection approvals across the country.

Cockrell School of Engineering | Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering

Chih-Hao Chang was quoted in 3D Printing Industry, explaining that his team has built a new tabletop device that drastically speeds up computer chip manufacturing for researchers, shrinking a multi-day printing process down to just minutes.

DK Ezekoye provided expert insight into the CapMetro battery‑fire incident reported in KUT News, emphasizing that distinguishing whether damaged batteries caused the blaze is central to safety analysis.

Jackson School of Geosciences | Earth and Planetary Sciences

Dev Niyogi was quoted in Digital Terminal, noting that rising extreme‑heat events are reshaping how cities plan and consume energy, underscoring the need for AI systems that integrate weather and energy data and the necessity of sustainability and technology evolving together.

Cockrell School of Engineering | Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Kara Kockelman was cited in Spectrum News 1, explaining that disruption in the supply of Group III base‑oil supplies will lead to cost increases across multiple sectors that will propagate through all economic sectors, eventually reaching consumers as higher everyday costs.

Kockelman was also quoted by CBS Austin discussing a new Texas Law that imposes tougher requirements for autonomous vehicles.

Kockelman also spoke with The Daily Texan about TxDOT’s directive to remove several Austin roadway art installations that did not meet state traffic‑control standards.

Ellen Rathje and Salvatore Salamone were interviewed for a UT News piece about UT Austin engineers’ ongoing work to improve nuclear safety and build public confidence in next‑generation nuclear energy.