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Preparing for the State’s Future Energy Needs

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Preparing for the State’s Future Energy Needs


Expertise and innovation lit up UT Energy Week. Co-hosted by The University of Texas at Austin’s Energy Institute and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center, the annual five-day event brought together energy leaders, researchers, policymakers and students for panel discussions, keynotes, networking and hands-on competitions. The 2026 lineup focused on the challenges and opportunities shaping the energy landscape — from nuclear power and geothermal resources to artificial intelligence infrastructure and critical minerals. 

Across every theme, faculty members and students from UT showcased the depth of their expertise and the impact of their research alongside industry and government experts on the future of energy in Texas.

Derek Haas on the future of nuclear education at UT:

Monday’s nuclear symposium opened with Derek Haas, associate professor in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, looking at the future of education as Texas and the nation face rising energy demand driven by industrial and technological growth.  

At UT, nuclear research spans energy, security, medicine, materials degradation, robotics, safety and isotope discovery. Students at the undergraduate and graduate levels are working with national laboratories and industry leaders to design molten salt reactors, develop digital twin models that bridge computer simulations with real-world reactors, and study nuclear security. Haas also highlighted the rapid growth of nuclear education at UT, noting that in just a few years the program has expanded from struggling to get the minimum 10 students in each class to waitlisted courses of 48 students across every program and partnerships spanning science, engineering and the humanities. 

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Ning Lin on aligning power, water, land and community to de-risk data center growth:

Ning Lin presenting “Aligning Power, Water, Land and Community to De-Risk Data Center Growth”

Throughout Energy Week, UT experts tackled the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure, focusing on AI and data centers. Ning Lin, chief economist at UT’s Bureau of Economic Geology, gave a presentation on the COMPASS Consortium’s research on addressing the growing convergence of large-load sectors within shared energy, water, infrastructure, and community systems. This includes data centers, oil and gas, advanced manufacturing, refining, and mining, and provides a framework to optimize strategies for power allocation and building sustainable infrastructure. 

COMPASS stands for collaborative optimization and management of power allocation-surface and subsurface strategies, and aims to bring together industry, communities and policymakers to shape the future of large-load growth. Research by Lin and her team has resulted in the publication of papers that provide a system-of-systems framework that touches on site suitability, permitting and timeline prediction, water resource integration and cooling technology, on-site generation and grid resilience modeling, and community solutions and policy.  

“Texas is facing a generational opportunity,” Lin said. She and her team hope the tools and information they can provide will help the state maximize its potential.

Ken Wisian on using geothermal energy resources to sustainably power AI & data centers:

Ken Wisian is a researcher in the Bureau of Economic Geology, Environmental Division, whose research focuses on geothermal systems for electricity generation. In his presentation at Energy Week, he discussed recent breakthroughs in geothermal energy and its potential to act as an option for on-site generation at data centers.  

“This is the biggest boom in geothermal energy I’ve seen since doing my Ph.D. in the ’90s,” Wisian said. And with the increasing power demand for large-scale digital infrastructure, he thinks geothermal energy may be a solution.  

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According to Wisian, geothermal holds great promise, as currently 25% of land on Earth is viable for geothermal energy production. Additionally, geothermal systems can harvest energy from a large subsurface area while having minimal impact to the land’s surface, and it can provide operators the flexibility to drill on-site at data centers. Wisian’s work continues to further geothermal research and development of sites as a sustainable option for large power demand not reliant on the grid. 

President Jim Davis and Alumnus Rudy Garza on the Future of Energy in Texas:

During the panel “Energy Leaders in Dialogue,” President Jim Davis interviewed alumnus and his classmate at UT, Rudy Garza, who is now the CEO at CPS Energy in San Antonio. The pair talked about the challenges facing Texas during the next few years as organic population growth and infrastructure expansion increase energy generation needs, and the creative solutions that could solve them.  

With decades of experience as an energy leader, Garza shared insight into how Texas can invest and prepare for the future. By leveraging strengths across energy sectors, the state can meet its upcoming needs. “A diversified system is the best way to provide reliability,” he said. 

Davis and Garza also discussed the future of energy education at UT and how the University is working to prepare students for careers in energy, including a focus on data-driven decision-making and encouraging students to be lifelong learners. 

Andy Uhler and Brandon Mulder on community support across Texas:

For the past year and a half, Andy Uhler, the Energy Institute’s energy reporter in residence, has traveled across Texas interviewing people for “Phases & Stages: The Texas Energy Story.” The podcast explores stories in towns where various kinds of energy production happens, discussing the growing opportunities and challenges that locals face.  

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At Energy Week, Uhler brought along energy journalism fellow Brandon Mulder to record the finale of season one, where they discussed community findings on data centers and new forms of energy generation in rural areas. Uhler’s reporting is helping inform the public and expert researchers about how Texans are adapting to changing energy landscapes.



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Austin, TX

Everything you need to know about Austin run clubs

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Everything you need to know about Austin run clubs


AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.

Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That

When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.

“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”

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Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.





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Austin, TX

Texas Volts begin first home slate Thursday at Dell Diamond

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Texas Volts begin first home slate Thursday at Dell Diamond


AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Volts are off to a rough start in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, but maybe a little home cooking can help them get right.

After playing their first five games on the road, the Volts open play at Dell Diamond in Round Rock at 6 p.m. Thursday against the Utah Talons, kicking off an 8-game homestand.

Texas Volts Logo (Courtesy Athletes Unlimited Softball League)

It’s the first season the Volts will call Dell Diamond home. In the league’s inaugural season last year, the original four teams competed with a touring schedule that included a stop at Dell Diamond. This is the first year that the AUSL, now a 6-team league, will play in home markets.

They have a roster peppered with local stars, including 2-time NCAA national champion middle infielder Leighann Goode from the Texas Longhorns. Aliyah Binford, a New Braunfels native, played collegiately for Ole Miss and former Texas State pitcher Jessica Mullins made an appearance in the Volts’ previous series against the Carolina Blaze.

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Goode said there’s been a bit of a learning curve, but she credits her teammates for helping her adjust to the league.

“This group has brought me in and taught me stuff, taken me under their wings,” she said. “They’ve done an awesome job.”

Legendary Texas pitcher Cat Osterman is the team’s general manager, and the head coach is Texas State’s Ricci Woodard.

“We’re ready to rock and roll at home,” Woodard said. “I’m anxious to see what happens now that we get to play in our own place.”

Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 draft, joined the team last weekend after a brief contract holdout.

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The Volts are 1-4 this season, picking up their lone win over the Oklahoma City Spark on June 10. They’ll face the Talons in a 3-game series, the Chicago Bandits for a pair June 23-24, and finish the homestand with a 3-game set against the expansion Portland Cascade on June 26-28.

Ryan Sanders Baseball, the organization that owns and operates the Round Rock Express, is an operating partner with the Volts and an investor with the AUSL.



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Investigators seek clues in small jet crash that killed 1 in Texas, where bystanders rushed to help

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Investigators seek clues in small jet crash that killed 1 in Texas, where bystanders rushed to help


(AP) – Investigators combed through wreckage Wednesday for clues to why a business jet crashed on a Texas highway, killing one person on board after its pilots reported mechanical problems while requesting an emergency landing at a nearby airport.

The fiery crash late Tuesday in Laredo near the Mexican border sent bystanders racing from their cars to help police rescue passengers and crew from the burning aircraft. The crash killed Joshua Baer, a leader in Texas’ technology and startup sectors, the president of Baer’s company told the Austin American-Statesman.

Video from the frantic scene showed someone trying to smash the cockpit glass with a sledgehammer, while others used makeshift levers as they worked to open the plane’s door. Local officials said a firefighter entered the smoke-filled jet to extract one person still inside after the rest had escaped.

“While the loss of life is deeply regrettable, it is nothing short of a miracle that this tragedy did not become a mass fatality event,” Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño told a news conference Wednesday.

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The cause of the crash was not immediately known. The Federal Aviation Administration was investigating along with the National Transportation Board.

Laredo Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez Jr. said investigators working to reconstruct the crash were at the crash site Wednesday.

Crash victim worked to help entrepreneurs launch startups

Baer was the founder and chief executive of Austin-based Capital Factory, which helps entrepreneurs connect with investors and others to launch their businesses.

“Joshua was a fearless leader, a brilliant partner, and a dear friend to so many of us,” Capital Factory President Bryan Chambers told the Austin newspaper.

Capital Factory executives did not immediately return phone messages Wednesday from The Associated Press.

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Baer lived in Austin with his wife and three children, according to his LinkedIn page. He recently taught a student entrepreneur class at the University of Texas at Austin.

“I help people quit their jobs and become entrepreneurs,” Baer said on his LinkedIn page.

In a social media post, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas called Baer “one of the most significant figures driving innovation and entrepreneurship across America.”

Police did not release the name of the person killed, citing a request from family members. Rodriguez said those on the plane included two pilots and three teenagers.

Pilots reported low fuel, electrical issues, airport director says

The Cessna Citation Latitude twin jet departed Tuesday evening from the Mexican resort city of San José del Cabo and was bound for Austin, Texas, the FAA said in a statement.

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The plane was operated by NetJets, a company owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway that lets people buy part ownership in private jets. NetJets said in a statement it was cooperating with authorities.

The jet went down at about 10 p.m. Tuesday on the Loop 20 highway, just a few minutes after its pilots radioed the local airport seeking to make an emergency landing. Their call to air traffic controllers “mentioned low fuel and a power outage,” Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez said.

“They had mechanical issues and they lost communication with the tower,” Sanchez said Wednesday, “and that’s when the accident happened.”

Dashcam video posted on social media showed the aircraft careening down the highway and knocking down a light post before coming to a stop near the airport. The jet also barreled into a car, sending one motorist to a hospital in stable condition, said Laredo police investigator Jose Baeza.

Video posted to social media showed the plane on its side, smashed into a highway barrier with the tail ripped from the fuselage.

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“It looked like part of a movie. I was in shock,” said Zayra Garza, an esthetician who was driving her co-workers home when she came upon the crash.

Garza, who shot video of the scene as her husband ran to help, saw motorists leave their cars to try to help smash the cockpit glass. She said the plane’s door opened and three people who looked like teenagers rushed out, followed by someone who appeared to be a pilot. Another crew member tried to pull out a person who seemed to be unconscious.

Smoke billowed from the plane as a firefighter climbed into the aircraft to rescue the remaining passenger. Police officers helping prop open the door had to back away as they doubled over coughing because of the intense smoke. Police said five officers were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation.

“What was worrying me was the fire,” Garza said. “I was concerned that it could have just exploded at any time.”

This was the third significant aviation accident in as many days. A B-52 crashed Monday during a test flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California and killed all eight people aboard, while on Sunday, 12 people were killed when a plane on a skydiving outing in Missouri crashed.

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___

Golden reported from Seattle; Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut; and Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. AP journalists Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.



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