Pecan Street Project: Smart grids and Austins energy future

What is the Lecture About?

Can technology allow us to work smarter instead of harder to meet people’s energy needs? The city of Austin proposes to lead the nation in developing and deploying smart grid technology that sends energy where it is needed most, allows household appliances to communicate and distribute demand, and provides other efficient solutions. Join us for a discussion on smart grids - what they are, why they're cool - and the future of Austin’s energy.

Presenters' Biosketch

Brewster McCracken, former Austin City Mayor Pro Tem, serves as the executive director of the Pecan Street Project, a coalition of business leaders, academics, and government officials supporting clean-energy technology for Austin.

Karl Rábago is the Vice President of Distributed Energy Services at Austin Energy. Mr. Rábago’s professional experience includes work for the U.S. Department of Energy, a Texas public utility, and the Enviornmental Defense Fund.

Michael Webber is a professor of mechanical engineering at UT Austin and the Associate Director of the Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy. Dr. Webber’s research and teaching focus on energy policy, the nexus of water and energy, and biofuels.

The Pecan Street Project in the news:
on KUT 90.5 fm radio
in the Austin American Statesman