UTA to host discussion on Texas energy needs

The one-day seminar will examine ways to support the state’s power grid

2024-10-18

(Press-News.org) The University of Texas at Arlington will host GridNEXT DFW 2024: Meeting the Demand, an event dedicated to envisioning the future of energy infrastructure, on Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The one-day seminar will bring together industry partners, leaders, government officials and private stakeholders across the Texas energy space to discuss growing power needs and how to better support the Texas power grid.

It will be held at UTA’s Rio Grande Ballroom, 300 W. First St. in Arlington. Woody Rickerson, ERCOT senior vice president and chief operating officer, will be the keynote speaker. More event details can be found here.

“The GridNEXT events have profoundly influenced the electric industry by fostering exceptional networking, creativity and problem-solving opportunities,” said Chris Boyer, an associate professor of practice in the resource and energy engineering program at UTA.

Ramsey Ayass, event panelist and senior vice president of grid strategy at SMT Energy, agrees: "GridNEXT DFW has significantly influenced the Texas clean energy industry over the years by allowing stakeholders to share their expertise and creativity while providing a venue for networking within our local community.”

This event comes to UTA at a time when the University has been at the forefront in exploring how to better serve Texans’ electricity needs. This past spring, Dr. Boyer, electrical engineering Assistant Professor Yichen Zhang, and electrical engineering Chair Wei-Jen Lee received a $1.6 million Biden-Harris Administration grant to improve regional and state wholesale electricity markets.

And this fall, the University fully launched its resource and energy engineering degree program to equip students with the skills needed to address local, national and global energy challenges.

About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)

Located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive teaching, research, and public service institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through scholarship and creative work. With an enrollment of approximately 41,000 students, UT Arlington is the second-largest institution in the UT System. UTA’s combination of outstanding academics and innovative research contributes to its designation as a Carnegie R-1 “Very High Research Activity” institution, a significant milestone of excellence. The University is designated as a Hispanic Serving-Institution and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education and has earned the Seal of Excelencia for its commitment to accelerating Latino student success. The University ranks as the No. 1 national public university in the U.S. for veterans (Military Times, 2024), No. 4 in Texas for advancing social mobility (U.S. News & World Report, 2025), and No. 6 in the United States for its undergraduate ethnic diversity (U.S. News & World Report, 2025). UT Arlington’s approximately 270,000 alumni occupy leadership positions at many of the 21 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in North Texas and contribute to the University’s $28.8 billion annual economic impact on Texas.

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UTA to host discussion on Texas energy needs

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