UT PGE’s annual Energy AI Hackathon is one of UT Austin’s premier data analytics events. Over the course of a weekend, current students from across the university work together in teams to solve a real-world energy challenge using machine learning in Python — and compete for thousands in prize money and the opportunity to present to event sponsors at their corporate offices.

The event kicks off with a Friday evening coding workshop led by UT PGE’s resident AI experts, Professor John Foster and Professor Michael Pyrcz. At the end of the workshop, the hackathon’s spatiotemporal, multivariate machine learning challenge is revealed and the student teams get to work. Through the course of the weekend, teams troubleshoot with industry mentors who are energy AI experts and stay fueled and hydrated with endless snacks and refreshments. Each team finalizes their solution and presents to a panel of expert judges on Sunday afternoon.

Even more than bragging rights and prize money, all Energy AI Hackathon participants gain hands-on experience creating data science workflows to solve real-world energy challenges, all while making valuable connections with industry leaders who could become career mentors and help secure internships and jobs down the road.

6th Annual Energy AI Hackathon
Jan. 23–25, 2026

Participant Information
The Energy AI Hackathon is open to UT Austin students from any school or department who are registered for classes during the semester the hackathon takes place. Each team must have at least one UT PGE student and at least one undergraduate student (these can be the same person). Registration is now open.

The top four teams will receive medals, an invitation to present at a sponsoring company, and prize money in the following amounts (before taxes) split among team members:

• First Place: $5,000
• Second Place: $2,500
• Third Place: $1,000
• Fourth Place: $500

Important Dates

• Jan. 14: Info Session
  5 p.m. | CPE 2.206
• Jan. 21: Info Session and Participant Mixer
  5 p.m. | CPE 2.206
• Jan. 22: Registration Deadline
• Jan. 23: Kickoff Workshop
• Jan. 25: Presentations and Awards