Papers & Reports

The Future of the Electric Grid in Texas

Texas is facing an electricity consumption surge—up to 360% by 2035—fueled by data centers, EV infrastructure, and industrial growth. Aging transmission lines, gas supply constraints, and regulatory delays threaten grid stability. “The Future of the Electric Grid in Texas” explores how urgent investment and smart policy can keep the lights on and the economy humming.

Download White Paper

May 2025

The Future of the Electric Grid in Texas

Authored by: Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Aparajita Datta

Texas electricity demand could double by 2035—driven by data centers, EVs, and industry. Is the grid ready?

Grid Resilience

Energy Investment

Policy
Nov 2024

Net-Zero Texas by 2050

Authored by: Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Aparajita Datta

Understanding that this is much more than an ambitious goal, this UH study offers insight into paths forward for Texas while highlighting potential economic and environmental impacts.

Net Zero

Decarbonization

Workforce Development
Sep 2024

Net Zero in Texas: The Role of Workforce Development

Authored by: UH Energy

UH Energy study addresses consequences of scenarios and offers roadmap to ensure needed workforce development in current and emerging sectors that supports a net-zero transition.

Workforce Development

Net Zero

Policy
Sep 2024

Diverging Paths For Natural Gas

Authored by: Greg Bean

Publication forecasts the outlook of a differentiated market as trends indicate increased demand for natural gas, especially in underdeveloped countries in Asia and the Middle East.

Oil & Gas

Policy

Energy Investment
Aug 2024

Net Zero in Texas: The Role of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration

Authored by: Connor Thompson

Carbon capture, utilization and storage is essential to realizing global net zero goals, and Texas is uniquely equipped to lead this effort despite infrastructure and policy hurdles to address. Here’s the plan on how to meet those challenges.

Decarbonization

Net Zero

Oil & Gas
Jul 2024

Workforce Development for the Future of Energy

Authored by: Paul Doucette

Houston is set to power a transformative shift in energy, but it won’t happen without critical collaboration among lawmakers, academia, community and industry. This publication is a roadmap on how to prepare our workforce to successfully capitalize on this opportunity.

Workforce Development

Community Outreach

Decarbonization
May 2024

CO2 Pipelines Explained

Authored by: Paul Doucette, Mohan Vedala

Researchers are exploring cutting-edge solutions to capture and transport CO₂, tackling one of the biggest challenges in the fight against climate change.

Decarbonization

Climate Change

Infrastructure
May 2024

Repurposing Fossil Fuel Assets for a Low-Carbon World

Authored by: Greg Bean

Pinpointing key policy changes essential to accelerate re-purposing initiatives and advance the clean energy transition while minimizing financial losses in the fossil fuel sector.

Decarbonization

Policy

Oil & Gas
May 2024

Carbon Dioxide Pipelines: Role in Responding to Carbon Emissions

Authored by: Paul Doucette and Mohan Vedala

Several CCUS projects are poised to begin, which calls for a related growth in transport pipelines. But it must be done safely to protect the environment and surrounding communities. Here’s how to do it.

Infrastructure

Climate Change

Community Outreach
May 2024

CCUS Infrastructure: Preparing for the Future of Houston

Authored by: Charles McConnell

CCUS is a lynchpin to the energy transition, and Houston is at the center of commercialization aspirations. However, this isn’t possible without needed investment in infrastructure, as well as a keen understanding of the road ahead.

Decarbonization

Infrastructure

Energy Investment
May 2024

Competitive Pricing of Hydrogen as an Economic Alternative to Gasoline and Diesel for the Houston Transportation Sector

Authored by: Paulo Liu, Alexander M. Economides and Christine Ehlig-Economides

Can hydrogen replace gasoline and diesel as a viable, sustainable and cost-effective fuel alternative? Our findings say yes. Here’s how.

Transportation

Electrification

Decarbonization
May 2024

Net Zero in Texas: The Role of the Electric Grid

Authored by: UH Energy

Part of a series of comprehensive reports that examines Texas’ path to net zero – deep dives into several growth scenarios and different pathways to achieve a net zero grid, with holistic solutions emphasizing diverse generation sources. Can Texas achieve a carbon-free grid?

Net Zero

Infrastructure

Grid Resilience

Electrification
Aug 2023

Climate Change and Energy Vulnerability of the American Poor

Authored by: Aparajita Datta

As studies show stronger climate policies disproportionately burden low-income communities, particularly in states with high poverty rates, this study highlights the need for further exploration of policy impacts on income inequality.

Climate Change

Community Outreach

Policy
Aug 2023

Net Zero Texas by 2050: The Role of Transportation

Authored by: UH Energy

Part of a series of comprehensive reports that examines Texas’ path to net zero – analyzes one of energy’s most pressing obstacles through a series of studies and scenarios that detail the potential outcomes for emissions, employment, economics, public health, and other factors

Net Zero

Transportation

Decarbonization
Oct 2022

Climate Resilience in Houston: Implications of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report for Houston’s Climate Action Plan

Authored by: UH Energy

What will these findings mean for Houston’s economy, energy infrastructure, and climate resilience efforts? This paper lays out a path forward for resilience and economic growth.

Climate Change

Infrastructure

Policy
Sep 2022

Environmental Stewardship and Employment Choices in Energy

Authored by: The Hobby School of Public Affairs in collaboration with UH Energy

The future workforce is paying attention to ESG practices across industry when considering employment choices. This UH and Hobby School of Public Affairs survey explores what’s important to the next generation of industry professionals.

Workforce Development

Policy

Climate Change
Apr 2022

Light-Duty Vehicle GHG Emissions: A Transparent, Dynamic Model

Authored by: Jim Crump in Collaboration with UH Energy

The transportation sector accounts for nearly a third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Can electric vehicle deployment can play a transformative role in reducing emissions? UH Energy examines through a model comparing electric cars and trucks to their gas-powered counterparts.

Transportation

Electrification

Climate Change
Jan 2022

Oil Pipelines - Due Diligence Considerations

Authoured by: Jim Crump in Collaboration with UH Energy

A balanced framework for pipeline industry and environmental interest groups to collaborate on due diligence efforts to responsibly transport crude oil with respect to public safety, environmental and climate risks.

Oil & Gas

Infrastructure

Community Outreach
Sep 2021

Overview of Reporting of ESG Metrics by the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry

Authored by: Suryanarayanan Radhakrishnan, Aparajita Datta, Ramanan Krishnamoorti

The energy transition has highlighted the need to evolve to more comprehensive and transparent metrics for ESG in industry, but multiple frameworks exists. UH Energy examines the similarities and differences, concluding the need for a universal pathway to metric reporting.

Oil & Gas

Community Outreach

Climate Change
May 2021

Climate Change and Carbon Management: Has the US Transcended Partisanship?

Authored by: The Hobby School of Public Affairs in collaboration with UH Energy

This article details how the rapid acceleration of climate change has shifted the debate from questioning its existence to finding practical solutions.

Climate Change

Decarbonization

Policy
Apr 2021

Advancing Sustainable Low-Carbon Energy Through Convergence

Authored by: UH Energy and SVG Energy

If “Net Zero by 2050” is to be realized, then low-carbon energy solutions must be developed and deployed quickly. We identify the four pillars of the energy transition, as well as underlying interactions within those pillars, while addressing opportunities and challenges regarding public awareness, workforce development, and nimbly adopting the latest advances.

Decarbonization

Energy Investment

Policy
Feb 2021

Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage - Lynchpin for the Energy Transition

Authored by: UH Energy in collaboration with the Gutierrez Energy Management Institute and the Center for Houston's Future

The Energy Capital of the World is poised to be the CCUS Capital of the World as well. This paper explores the Greater Houston region’s unmatched advantages in leading carbon capture efforts.

Decarbonization

Climate Change

Community Outreach
Oct 2020

Carbon Management Report 2020

Authored by: The Hobby School of Public Affairs in collaboration with UH Energy

A groundbreaking survey by the Hobby School of Public Affairs and UH Energy reveals key insights into public attitudes on climate change and the cost of decarbonized energy.

Decarbonization

Climate Change

Policy
May 2020

The Energy Workforce: Returning To Work During COVID-19

Authored by: UH Energy in collaboration with the Center for Applied Psychological Research

COVID-19’s effect was dramatically felt in the energy industry, from depressed demand to workforce disruption. With it came a notable preference for workers to remain remote. We provide best practices to consider during the new normal as industry returns to work.

Workforce Development

COVID-19

Oil & Gas
Apr 2020

The Energy Workforce and COVID-19: Data-Driven Policy Recommendations

Authored by: Christiane Spitzmueller, Ph.D., Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Ph.D., Rhona Flin, Ph.D., Aparajita Datta

Companies have to start conversations about building the future of the energy industry and its workforce in a fundamentally different context amid unprecedented industry challenges. Our study, done alongside PESA, IPAA and Pink Petro, examined what went right and what could be better in managing this crisis.

Workforce Development

COVID-19

Policy
Apr 2020

Digitization of the Energy Industry

Authored by: Gutierrez Energy Management Institute in collaboration with UH Energy

The energy industry is going digital, and higher education needs to make sure the future workforce can keep up.

Artificial Intelligence

Oil & Gas

Grid Resilience
March 2020

The Energy Workforce and COVID-19: Survey Supplement

Authored by: Christiane Spitzmueller, Ph.D., Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Ph.D., Rhona Flin, Ph.D., Aparajita Datta

An in-depth look at the survey provided during our work on “The Energy Workforce: Returning To Work During COVID-19”.

Workforce Development

COVID-19

Oil & Gas
Dec 2019

Insights Into The Oil and Gas Workforce of the Future 2019

Authored by: The Hobby School of Public Affairs in collaboration with UH Energy

Potential industry employees value corporate social responsibility and environmental stewardship now more than ever when choosing who to work for.

Oil & Gas

Workforce Development

Climate Change
Jul 2019

Opportunities and Challenges in the Permian

Authored by: UH Energy

The shale revolution has pushed the Permian Basin to the forefront as the world’s top oil producer. But infrastructure and sustainability obstacles – and thus, opportunities – must be addressed if the Permian is to continue its rate of production.

Infrastructure

Oil & Gas

Energy Investment
Jun 2019

The Role of Hydrogen in the De-carbonization of the Energy Industry

Authored by: The Gutierrez Energy Management Institute in collaboration with UH Energy

Hydrogen is gaining traction as a key element of large-scale decarbonization of the energy industry. How do we take advantage of its abundance and potential?

Decarbonization

Climate Change

Oil & Gas
March 2019

Investing Under Uncertainty: The Challenge of Building the US Energy Infrastructure of the Future

Authored by: The Gutierrez Energy Management Institute in collaboration with UH Energy

As oil and gas production grows along with increased power demand, electricity generation changes and grid requirements, energy investment will be critical. We identify the key challenges and opportunities to improving existing infrastructure.

Infrastructure

Energy Investment

Oil & Gas
March 2019

Corporate Social Responsibility in the Energy Industry: Challenges and Opportunities

Authored by: The UH Consortium for Energy Corporate Social Responsibility in collaboration with UH Energy

Businesses cannot afford to approach social, environmental and corporate social responsibility without urgency. Here’s where industry can improve.

Oil & Gas

Community Outreach

Workforce Development
Jan 2019

Managing the Carbon Challenge for the Energy Sector

Authored by: The Gutierrez Energy Management Institute in collaboration with UH Energy

Negative emissions technologies have become an unheralded strategy to combat climate change, but their potential has gone unexplored. We peel back the curtain on how this can change the future of industry.

Decarbonization

Oil & Gas

Energy Investment
Dec 2018

Federal Pricing of Carbon: A Snapshot from February 2018

Authored by:The Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources Center in collaboration with UH Energy

UH Energy and fellow academic and law experts took aim at reviewing the debate between pricing carbon with cap and trade or a direct tax and the likelihood of taxation as the first federal carbon pricing statute.

Policy

Decarbonization

Energy Investment
Aug 2018

Driving the Future: A Scenario for the Rapid Growth of Electric Vehicles

Authored by: The Gutierrez Energy Management Institute in collaboration with UH Energy

Widespread electric vehicle adoption is becoming more probable. The benefits are clearer, too. But the pace at which this will happen is uncertain. We analyze the path forward and what must take place for this probability to become a certainty.

Electrification

Transportation

Infrastructure