Energy Technology and Policy Conference 2025

1. Recall and define terminology, units, and magnitudes common in discussions of energy.
2. Identify the primary sources of energy.
3. Recognize how energy is connected across sectors.
4. Recognize different technologies used for energy production and consumption.
5. Interpret the basic laws of thermodynamics.
6. Generalize how energy needs, sources and uses have changed over time.
7. Relate energy issues and society, including economics, national security, and the environment.
8. Interpret data, industry reports, and government publications on energy.
9. Identify geographic trends in energy production and consumption. 

Dr. Michael E. Webber is the Sid Richardson Chair in the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the John J. McKetta Centennial Energy Chair in the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to his role as a faculty member, from August 2021 to September 2024, Webber served as CTO of Energy Impact Partners, a $5 billion venture fund focused on investments in cleantech and climate tech startups with the potential for deep decarbonization at speed and scale. Furthermore, from September 2018 to August 2021, Webber was based in Paris, France where he served as the Chief Science and Technology Officer at ENGIE, one of the world’s largest energy companies.

Webber’s works spans research and education at the convergence of engineering, policy, and commercialization on topics related to innovation, energy, and the environment. His group’s research tackles complex energy systems analysis with a deep record of expertise on the following: 1) grid reliability in the face of electrification and the rise of variable sources in a warming world, 2) the hydrogen sector and how it couples to other sectors such as the grid, transportation, industry, and the built environment and 3) the food-energy-water-waste nexus. He serves on the board of GTI Energy (an industry consortium formerly known as the Gas Technology Institute) and the Scientific Advisory Council for ENGIE.

Webber has authored or co-authored more than 600 publications, including five full-length general interest books, and holds 6 patents. His essays have been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Scientific American and more. Webber’s scholarly articles have appeared in top journals such as Science, Nature, and Environmental Science & Technology.

His book Power Trip: the Story of Energy was published in 2019 by Basic Books with an award-winning 12-part companion series spread out over two seasons that aired on PBS, Amazon Prime, AppleTV, and in-flight entertainment on American Airlines. The series had more than 10,000 broadcasts in the United States and has been distributed in dozens of countries, ultimately reaching millions of viewers. Seasons 1 and 2 of Power Trip along with his documentary Thirst for Power and television special Energy at the Movies have been recognized with six Telly Awards (one gold, four silver, and one bronze) for excellence in television.

In 2024 Webber was selected for the Energy Thought Leader: Higher Education award by the American Energy Society and a three-year term as a Fulbright Technical Specialist by the U.S. State Department. He was selected in 2014 as a Fellow of ASME (the American Society of Mechanical Engineers), in 2018 as a member of the 4th class of the Presidential Leadership Scholars, which is a leadership training program organized by Presidents George W. Bush and William J. Clinton, and in 2022 for the Rockefeller Foundation’s prestigious writer’s residency in Bellagio, Italy. He was honored as an American Fellow of the German Marshall Fund and on four separate occasions by the University of Texas for exceptional teaching.

Webber holds a B.S. and B.A. from UT Austin, and M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.

Emily Beagle, Ph.D., is a research associate in the Webber Energy Group at UT Austin. She currently works on energy policy and pathways to the decarbonization of the global energy system, with a particular focus on the deployment and use of hydrogen to reduce emissions in the hardest-to-abate sectors. Beagle is interested in using technical and engineering analysis to inform energy policy development. Before joining the Webber Energy Group, Beagle was a senior associate with the Climate Aligned Industries program at RMI and led the policy work for the Green Hydrogen Catapult project. Beagle also served as the ASME Congressional Fellow in Energy in the office of Senator Tina Smith in 2020. She holds bachelor's degrees in Energy Systems Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, as well as a Master's and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wyoming.

Yael R. Glazer, Ph.D., is a research associate in the Webber Energy Group at The University of Texas at Austin. She earned a B.S. in Bioengineering from The University of California at Berkeley, an M.S. in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from UT Austin. Prior to graduate school, Glazer spent seven years working at Genentech, one of the world's leading biotech companies, developing and optimizing manufacturing processes to bring medicines to patients with unmet medical needs. Glazer's current research interests include energy, water, food waste, and the environment. Glazer also teaches an introductory course, Energy and Society, at UT Austin. In addition to academic research and teaching, Glazer consults with investors to assess the technical and economic feasibility of emerging innovations and energy projects.

Harry Kennard, PhD., is a research associate in the Webber Energy Group at The University of Texas at Austin. His work focuses on energy systems and their impacts, particularly on health in the context of the built environment. Since 2020, he has been a leading contributor to the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, developing research and contributing to global and regional reports.

Before joining the Webber Energy group, he was a senior research associate at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, and prior to that a Research Fellow at University College London. He holds a PhD from the UCL Energy Institute, which examined the health impacts of cold homes. He also holds Masters degrees in Energy Demand, Linguistics, Applied Mathematics, and Physics, as well as an undergraduate degree in Physics.

ENERGY 101

A six-month subscription to ENERGY 101 is included free when you register for Introduction to Energy Technology and Policy.

Energy 101 is a comprehensive, interactive course (32 chapters in 8 sections) developed by Dr. Webber and Dr. Glazer. The course starts with energy basics, then surveys the various energy sources, end-use sectors, and cross-cutting elements such as food, water, policy, and the economy. After completing the online course, students earn a certificate of completion for Energy 101: Energy Technology and Policy."

Powering Humanity: Essays on Energy and Society

A complimentary paperback version of Dr. Webber's Powering Humanity: Essays on Energy and Society is included when you register for this course.

The LBJ School Executive Education now issues digital badges that can be used to show that you have completed a course with us. This badge is secure verification that you can share on social media or with anyone of your choosing.   These badges can also be printed as a traditional certificate.

Upon completing this program, you will receive:

1. A digital Energy Technology and Policy badge
2. 18 Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
3. LBJ School Dean’s certificate

Attendees must attend the entire professional development course to earn this badge and receive CEUs.