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The summer is here. And though a heat dome is not hovering over Texas like last year, weather challenges have been intense. Hurricane Beryl wreaked havoc in Houston not so long after two other powerful windstorms did their own damage. New York had to call for a demand response event a few weeks ago when a heat wave struck the city earlier than usual. Wildfires and heat waves are hitting the mountain west. And demand for electricity for air conditioning, electric vehicles and artificial intelligence continues to force the power sector to grow.
All of these trends together are a reminder of the challenge before us: to expand and decarbonize the grid while the world is warming. This is a time when rigorous analysis and thoughtful research is important and informative for planners. We aim to fill that role.
The team continues to do its work together with utilities, industry, policy makers, and environmental groups with the goal of optimizing the energy system to meet society's needs. Thankfully, some of that work gets recognized. For a few quick examples, Dr. Nick Laws' recent analysis of distributed energy resources earned media attention, Dr. Emily Beagle's work informed some policy discussions about the role of hydrogen in Texas, and Dr. Josh Rhodes was a go-to expert (again) for national media after Houston was struck by the hurricane. Josh's ongoing contributions to the national dialog were recognized with a very prestigious designation as Outstanding Young Alumnus award from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Our goal to reach a broader audience for improving energy literacy also gained traction with the PBS Series "Power Trip: The Story of Energy", which was received three Telly Awards. Many thanks to Alpheus Media and Juan Garcia for making such a nice series.
Your support and collaboration makes it possible for us to do this work, so I cannot thank you enough.Please stay cool this summer.
Sincerely,
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