Welcome to the Smart and ZerO-Carbon Energy Analytics and Research (SOAR) Lab at the University of Houston. This Lab is directed by Dr. Jian (Jason) Shi at the University of Houston. SOAR was founded in 2018. SOAR is a member of the Power Electronics, Microgrids & Subsea Electrical Systems Center (PEMSEC) at UH.

SOAR Lab is dedicated to tackling three defining frontiers of our time: AI, Energy, and Climate Change, by advancing research and innovation at their intersection.

Research Motivation:

Modern energy systems are being reshaped by three converging pressures:

• AI is emerging as a powerful enabler, with the potential to unlock major gains in forecasting, grid operations, optimization, and decarbonization across the energy sector.

• The rapid growth of AI and data centers is creating unprecedented electricity demand, fundamentally changing how we plan, operate, and modernize power systems in both the near and long term.

• Ongoing dependence on fossil fuels continues to raise concerns around energy security, affordability, and long-term sustainability, especially in regions with rising demand and constrained infrastructure..

Addressing these pain points requires optimizing energy systems to remain reliable and cost-effective, while also making them climate-resilient and AI-ready.

The growth of AI is far from carbon-neutral:

• For example, Google’s GHG emissions have increased by 48% since 2019 due to energy-intensive AI and data center expansion.

• At the same time, AI could help reduce 3.2 to 5.4 billion tonnes of CO₂e annually by 2035 if deployed strategically across key sectors. 

Without coordinated planning, clean energy integration, and carbon-aware operation, AI risks accelerating the very climate challenges it could help solve.

These rising AI energy demands are unfolding against the backdrop of record-breaking global temperatures and the highest energy-related emissions in human history:

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that 2024 is the warmest year on record, with the past ten years 2015-2024 are the ten warmest years on record [source: MWO]. 

• Global energy activities contributed 37.8 Gt of CO₂ in 2024, hitting an all-time high and accounting for more than 70% of total greenhouse gas emissions.  [source: IEA].

Energy is the backbone of modern life, powering industries, infrastructure, and now increasingly AI-driven digital systems. Yet it is also the largest source of emissions. Meeting emission goals while supporting a new wave of AI-powered innovation makes this moment both unprecedented and pivotal in the entire energy history. 

Energy Transition, AI Growth, and Energy Security Are Now Inseparable

Fossil fuels still supply around 80% of the world’s primary energy, particularly where cost and reliability are non-negotiable. But the ground has shifted: AI is driving electricity demand faster than clean energy is being built, and the gap is widening.

The next stage of the energy transition will be judged on delivery, not declarations:

• Surging demand from AI, electrification, and industry can’t be met with incremental wind, solar, or gas projects. 

• What’s required is large-scale deployment of clean generation, firm low-carbon power, long-duration storage, flexible demand, new transmission, and digitally coordinated grid operations, built as an integrated system, not a patchwork.

• Climate ambition must align with energy equity and digital growth:  Decarbonization is uneven, and AI growth could deepen the divide.

• Rising costs can stall both clean energy and AI deployment: Transition costs + AI demand can drive price spikes.

• Resilience and decarbonization must be engineered together: Grids must handle AI load, storage, and extreme weather simultaneously.

Houston: The Energy and AI Infrastructure Capital of the Future

Houston is no longer just the center of the global energy industry. It is becoming the testing ground for how AI, electricity systems, and decarbonization converge. The region is home to some of the fastest-growing data center and AI infrastructure buildouts in the country, alongside one of the most mature energy innovation ecosystems in the world.

The University of Houston, and SOAR Lab within it, are strategically positioned to shape this transformation: we contribute to the nation’s emerging “Energy University” mission by leading research in AI-ready, climate-resilient energy systems.

"The Lone Star State is showing the world how to power a clean tomorrow...Energy transition breakthroughs will come from the Silicon Valley of Energy, Houston" — Bill Gates, CeraWeek 2024.

If you are passionate about what we do - contact us via: jshi14 [at] uh.edu or jshi23 [dot] uh [at] gmail.com (preferable).

YOU can make a difference in our climate!