The power sector is undergoing a massive shift to accommodate emerging demands for electricity, including data centers and artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency mining, and production of alternative fuels, such as hydrogen. Massive investments in energy infrastructure are needed to adapt to these new demands, which will only be compounded further as we decarbonize our energy sector. Furthermore, this transformation spans sectors and stakeholders, with significant implications for both distributive and procedural justice. In this contribution, Dr. Castellanos will provide insights into the potential variations in grid configurations that might emerge in the future in ERCOT (Texas grid), as well as approaches to model community-centered decarbonization pathways that account for health impacts.
Dr. Sergio Castellanos is an assistant professor at the UT Austin's Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Department, where he leads the RESET (Rapid, Equitable & Sustainable Energy Transitions) Lab, analyzing just decarbonization pathways for emerging economies, data-driven sustainable transportation approaches, and equitable local energy transitions. With collaborators, his interdisciplinary projects have been awarded international prizes (United Nations' Data for Climate Action Challenge), won national competitions (México), and gathered media attention (Forbes, Greentech Media). He was a recipient of the 2023 Cesar Chavez "Si Se Puede" Award' from PODER, an environmental justice organization in East Austin, TX, in recognition of his leadership and transformative work to help better communities in Austin. Sergio holds an Engineering Ph.D. from MIT.