Former U.S. Energy Secretary Warns of ‘Energy Emergency’

Energy policy, national security, and the future of nuclear power took center stage Feb. 20 as the KBH Energy Center welcomed former U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. The event, co-hosted by UT’s Strauss Center for International Security and Law, provided students, faculty members, and industry leaders with a ringside seat to the energy policy battle on Capitol Hill. 

In discussion with KBH Energy Center Executive Director Jack Balagia, Brouillette implored a packed house to think about the country’s current energy needs as urgent. The speaking engagement was part of the KBH Energy Center’s “Focus on Energy” series. The center is a collaboration among the McCombs School of Business, Cockrell School of Engineering, Jackson School of Geosciences, and UT School of Law.

“It’s hard to avoid the notion that there’s an emergency for energy production,” Brouillette said, citing increased demand as the artificial intelligence revolution takes hold and data centers proliferate. “We’re going to be about 25 to 30 gigawatts short by 2030 at the latest. That’s six New York City-sized grids that we have to build in five years.” He says today’s regulatory environment is a major obstacle to building these grids.