According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the independent statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy, worldwide energy consumption will jump by more than 50% by 2030. EIA data also shows that our current level of energy production is far below this future demand. In order to bridge this gap between present production and future usage we must develop new methods of extracting fossil fuels (the world’s primary energy sources), advance technologies that use energy more efficiently, and perfect the alternative and renewable energy sources that one day will be called on to replace non-renewable resources such as oil and natural gas.

Since energy touches practically every aspect of our lives, University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering professors and scientists are developing technologies designed to take us through this spike in demand one year at a time.

UH engineers are developing more efficient methods of extracting oil and natural gas, including huge deposits from reservoirs that have previously been abandoned.

To ease demand and soften the environmental impact of this petroleum use, our faculty are developing and testing technologies that can supplement oil supply, reduce usage and cut emissions from gasoline- and diesel-powered engines.

And to help usher in an era powered by renewable and alternative energy sources, we are developing the technologies that can move these emerging solutions from the laboratory to the real world.

The features that follow do not constitute an exhaustive list of our energy efforts. Instead, they are a selection of highimpact projects that demonstrate the significance and scope of the energy work being carried out here. Through the efforts of researchers at the Cullen College and around the globe, we will save our world from an energy crisis.

Recoverable Resources
• How much oil is still left in the ground?
• How can we lower the cost of retrieving oil?
• How can we improve the process of oil production?
• What role will petroleum play in an alternative energy future?

Cleaner Consumption
• What can be done to reduce oil consumption in automobiles?
• Are plant-based fuels a realistic solution to our energy demands?
• What is currently being done to improve the air quality in Houston?

Going Green
• What might eventually replace oil and gas in the future?
• What about wind?
• Can we really leverage the moon… for energy?