Young Texans who aspire to have careers in the energy industry are paying close attention to the future of energy. Results from a recent survey by the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs and UH Energy confirm that they have been paying close attention.

The survey found that the students pursuing a future career in the energy industry are twice as likely to prefer working for a renewable energy company that is recognized as being an ESG leader and are willing to take a lower salary than working for an oil drilling company that is criticized for not meeting ESG standards.

This is a transformational opportunity to simplify and untangle the elite discourse that has lacked transparency, confused and contaminated how we think about climate change and its modeling, energy production and use, and the issues at the intersection of climate and energy, including ESG. [i] The students were twice as willing to take an employment opportunity with a renewable energy company that is recognized for being an ESG leader at an annual salary of $75,000 than an oil drilling company that is criticized for not meeting ESG standards but offering a higher salary of $85,000.

Her research is focused on policy diffusion and feedback analyses to improve energy equity and justice for low-income communities in the U.S. Aparajita holds a bachelor's degree in computer science and engineering from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, India; and master's degrees in energy management, and public policy from the University of Houston.

UH Energy is the University of Houston's hub for energy education, research and technology incubation, working to shape the energy future and forge new business approaches in the energy industry.