From battery breakthroughs to vehicle-to-grid innovation, the University of Miami’s Energy Summit, hosted by the Miami Institute for Clean Energy, showcased cutting-edge technologies and ideas shaping the future of energy. Kicking off the summit, the first panel, moderated by Pratim Biswas, dean of the College of Engineering, underscored a central message: meeting future energy demands requires a diverse mix of energy sources and collaborations across industries.
A century of progress
Pamela Rauch, vice president of external affairs and economic development at Florida Power & Light, opened the panel by reflecting on the utility company’s 100-year journey. The company has grown from delivering ice by mule in the 1920s to powering more than 12 million Floridians today through a rapidly modernizing grid.
“Our mission is reliability,” Rauch said. “With Florida’s climate becoming more extreme, we’ve been replacing wooden poles with steel and concrete, expanding underground lines, and scaling up battery storage.”
Smart technology, she added, is doing more than just helping customers monitor their usage. Over 15 years, FPL’s smart grid has helped prevent more than 15 million outages.
EVs as energy sources
For Tim Ash, head of hardware products at GM Energy, the future lies not just in powering cars, but letting them power homes and communities.
“Every electric vehicle has the potential to supply 10 kilowatts of power,” Ash said. “If we’re putting millions of EVs on the road, that’s energy we can harness when they’re not being used.”
Ash pointed to GM’s efforts to develop bidirectional charging, which allows electric vehicles to send energy back to the grid. It's a model that could help stabilize the grid during peak demand.
“We’re working closely with utility companies to make this work,” he said. “It’s a once-in-a-century energy transition, and collaboration is key.”
A global view on future demand
University of Miami alumna Meagan Canon Ruttkay, now global HD/LDPE optimization manager at ExxonMobil, took a data-driven approach to global energy equity. She asked: What is the minimum energy level needed for modern life?
“Most of the world is still living below the average threshold,” she said. “And global energy demand will only grow, especially in transportation.”
She emphasized that a future energy mix must include all sources, including oil and gas, to meet both current needs and rising demand through 2050.
Emerging innovations and solutions
The summit’s later sessions highlighted new technologies and evolving strategies in the energy sector.
A panel on smart energy use in construction, moderated by civil engineering professor Esber Andiroglu, highlighted how the built environment plays a crucial role in long-term energy sustainability. Andiroglu, director of the Murphy Construction Program, emphasized that decisions made during the design and construction phases can lock in a building’s energy performance for decades.
The Miami Engineering Autonomous Mobility Initiative (MEAMI) panel, moderated by mechanical and aerospace engineering department chair Qingda Yang, looked beyond conventional transportation to explore the future of air mobility, focusing on the development of vertiports and electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOLs). The implications for energy are significant since eVTOLs run on electric power, requiring high-capacity charging infrastructure and smart grid integration.
A closing session on hydrogen energy brought together researchers and entrepreneurs to discuss hydrogen’s role in building a low-carbon future. The panel coincided with the announcement of a $250,000 gift from Ayfer Veziroglu to establish the Dr. T. Nejat Veziroglu Endowed Fellowship, honoring the legacy of her late husband, a world-renowned hydrogen researcher. The fellowship will support Ph.D. students pursuing hydrogen technologies, continuing Veziroglu’s vision of a more sustainable energy landscape.
Advancing energy research
In addition to the panel discussions, the summit featured a poster session with 18 student-led teams presenting ongoing energy research from across the College of Engineering.
At the forefront of this effort is the Miami Institute for Clean Energy, which is advancing innovative solutions in clean energy, with a strong focus on leveraging data analytics and machine learning to drive energy efficiency, resilience, and sustainability. Led by Ramin Moghaddass, the institute is tackling key challenges in energy systems.
"By leveraging advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and innovative engineering solutions, we can transform energy systems to be more efficient, secure, and resilient, paving the way toward a sustainable future for all."
Energy Summit 2025
