Energy Week 2027 to explore unprecedented era for energy systems

Energy systems are entering a period of unprecedented change. Rising electricity demand from AI and data centers, increasing climate risks, evolving supply chains for critical minerals and energy technologies, and growing pressure to maintain affordability and reliability are reshaping how energy systems are planned, built, and operated.

Meeting these challenges and advancing towards net-zero emissions requires more than developing and deploying new technologies. It demands coordinated innovation across infrastructure, markets, policy, finance, digital systems, and institutions—while strengthening the ability of energy systems to adapt, recover, and continue delivering benefits under changing conditions.

CMU Energy Week 2027, taking place April 6-9, 2027, and hosted by the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, will bring together leaders from industry, government, academia, and civil society to explore how to build energy systems that are resilient, affordable, secure, and aligned with long-term decarbonization goals.

“Carnegie Mellon is a national leader in electricity and artificial intelligence research. But we also do something else very well, and that is bringing different disciplines together to solve hard problems,” said Costa Samaras, director of the Scott Institute. “We’re looking forward to hearing from companies and entrepreneurs, policymakers, nonprofits, and community groups from a range of backgrounds and expertise to reimagine what we think the future of energy systems could look like.”

Carnegie Mellon is a national leader in electricity and artificial intelligence research. We also bring different disciplines together to solve hard problems.

Costa Samaras, Director, Scott Institute for Energy Innovation

Next April’s Energy Week programming will offer something valuable to a variety of energy stakeholders in attendance. Student Day will provide an insightful look at the future of energy innovation and problem-solving during activities like the careers in energy networking reception and the research poster competition, with the latter routinely drawing many students—graduate and undergraduate—from disciplines across campus to share the contributions they are already making to the energy field while they complete their studies. 

Additionally, an entire day will explore the pivotal role that energy and clean tech entrepreneurship plays in advancing emerging products and technologies to support sustainability and resilience in energy systems – and highlight the work of the NSF-funded Resilient Technology and Infrastructure Consortium led by West Virginia University, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of Pittsburgh. During panel discussions, investors will provide insights about the latest trends in the clean tech and climate tech sector. As a companion, the Energy & Cleantech Startup Pitch Showcase will put entrepreneurs in the spotlight as they deliver five-minute pitches about their companies before a panel of investor judges who will follow up with immediate feedback. 

Plenary Day, which features expert panelists from  government, industry, National Labs, and academia, will be organized around three successive, interconnected tracks: 

Track one: Resilient Infrastructure and Energy Security 

How do we build and operate energy systems that remain reliable, flexible, and secure under changing climatic, economic, and geopolitical conditions?

Track two: Digital Transformation and Intelligent Energy Demand

How can AI and digital technologies reshape energy production, consumption, and system coordination while maintaining reliability, affordability, and climate alignment?

Track three: Competitive Decarbonization for Industry

How do we accelerate industrial decarbonization while supporting economic competitiveness, affordability, and broad societal benefit?

Across all tracks, CMU Energy Week will emphasize actionable insights, interdisciplinary perspectives, and practical pathways for designing energy systems that can thrive under uncertainty while supporting economic growth, climate objectives, and societal well-being.

Save the date: CMU Energy Week: April 6-9, 2027

Registration will open later this fall.