Only in Texas: Houston's Role in DOE's Technology Advancements
Join DOE alumni on September 9, 2026, from 12-1 p.m. ET for a conversation ahead of Houston Climate Week about why Texas, and Houston in particular, keeps becoming the place where hard, capital-intensive, geology-dependent energy technology gets built and proven out.
Moderated by Jocelyn Brown-Saracino, Executive Director of the DOE Alumni Network
Panelists
Doug Schultz, LPO and OCED alum
Katie O'Shea, OCED alum and Chair of Houston Climate Week
Lindsay Anderson, LPO alum
Mike O’Connor, EERE alum, strategist around geothermal energy and CCUS
Robin Wong, LPO, CFO and OCED alum
The panelist will trace fifty years of DOE's presence in Houston, from de-risking methane and coal-fired carbon capture to today's work on hydrogen, geothermal, and direct air capture, and connect it to the bigger picture across the state. Texas leads the nation in wind and solar deployment, and its drilling and workforce base is now fueling a geothermal build-out too. The group will also dive into where DOE placed bets on Houston and Texas over decades and how those bets have turned into some of the country's biggest energy wins.
About Us
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Alumni Network was founded in September 2025 to foster a collaborative community that champions a transformational science and technology agenda for the United States by facilitating non-partisan policy engagement, preserving and sharing institutional knowledge, and supporting career development and networking opportunities for its members.
Mission Statement
The mission of the DOE Alumni Network is to foster a thriving DOE alumni community that plays a central role in supporting each other, championing the transformational science and innovation mission of the Department, and shaping the Department’s role in the nation’s energy, environmental, and security future.
By registering, you agree that your registration information will be shared with the organizers of Houston Energy & Climate Week and with Climatebase, the owner and operator of the Climate Week Network, of which Houston Energy & Climate Week is a member. This information will be used for communication purposes.