The October Austin Climate Innovation panel took a deep dive underground (literally) with this month’s theme: “Hot Rock and Cool Tech: Advances in Geothermal Energy.”

As renewable energy innovation continues to evolve across Texas, geothermal power is quietly heating up as one of the state’s most promising frontiers. The session featured some of the field’s leading voices: Dr. Shuvajit Bhattacharya with the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin, and Edward Humes and Timothy Tarver, founder of Exceed GeoEnergy, who shared both the scientific foundations and the business innovation shaping geothermal’s future.

As someone deeply passionate about sustainability and conservation, I often think about the water we use, the trees we plant, the waste we manage—but rarely have I taken a deep dive into the complex world of energy infrastructure.

That changed yesterday at MCJ Live – Where AI Meets Energy, hosted at The Sunset Room in downtown Austin. Curated by MCJ Collective and sponsored by J.P. Morgan and Gunderson Dettmer, the event brought together climate tech innovators and energy leaders for an afternoon of bold ideas at the intersection of AI, energy resilience, and climate innovation.

And honestly? It was an eye-opener in the best possible way.