UH assistant professor named ‘Emerging Leader’ by offshore technology

Xingpeng Li, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Houston’s Cullen School of Engineering, was named an Emerging Leader by the 2023 Offshore Technology Conference. Of the nine honorees, Li is the only one from an institution of higher learning.

The program selects young professionals with less than 10 years experience in the offshore energy sector who demonstrate outstanding talent, commitment and promise as future leaders, according to a press release from OTC.

Li is also the associate director of the Power Electronics, Microgrids & Subsea Electrical Systems Center (PEMSEC) at UH.

“Dr. Li’s research work contributes to offshore energy security, production, transition and transmission, as well as the efficiency and safety of onshore energy systems,” said UH Professor of Engineering Kaushik Rajashekara, who nominated Li. “He has become an expert in electrical energy systems and is currently expanding his research into offshore energy including offshore wind power and green hydrogen transport systems. His work shows a lot of promise.”

Given the honor and prestige associated with the award, Li is excited to be selected for the class of 2023. This year’s class will be recognized during a special ceremony during the conference at the NRG Center in Houston on Tuesday, May 2.

“I am very pleased with this award, as it is an acknowledgment of our latest research on offshore wind power and offshore platform decarburization,” said Li. “This recognition further motivates me to continue research in the field of offshore energy.”

The research topic – improving electrical energy systems – is very important to Li. Electrical energy systems are essential to our modern society, he said, because they provide the electrical services needed by nearly all homes, businesses and industries.

“Power system failure will lead to disaster, which prompted me to continue research in power energy systems to improve systems and better serve society.”

Li’s research interests cover the planning and operation of various electrical energy systems including mass grids and microgrids. He leads the Renewable Power Grid (RPG) Lab, which is part of PEMSEC, at UH. Laboratory research work focuses on energy security, transition and transmission for onshore and offshore energy systems. With the aim of promoting a renewable energy-enriched future grid, the group proposes new models and algorithms to increase the efficiency and safety of energy systems. The lab’s work also contributes to a net-zero energy system by facilitating the integration of green renewable energy and hydrogen networks.

Li has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed papers and has developed his research rapidly over the past few years. The latest paper”Cost-Benefit Analysis and Comparison for Various Offshore Wind Energy Transmission Systems,” was accepted for presentation at the 2023 Offshore Technology Conference in May. This work investigates how to efficiently and economically transfer offshore energy generated by offshore wind turbines to onshore facilities. It provides a cost-benefit analysis of each system, and these methods are compared in various scenarios.

He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with a focus on power engineering from Shandong University and a master’s degree in electrical engineering with a focus on power systems from Zhejiang University, in China. He earned his second master’s degree in industrial engineering from Arizona State University and will earn his third in Computer Science (machine learning) from the Georgia Institute of Technology this May. He earned his doctorate in electrical engineering from Arizona State University.

“The offshore energy industry needs brilliant, hard-working and creative young professionals to tackle our most pressing problems and push the boundaries of innovation,” said Paul Jones, chairman of the OTC Board in a press release for the organization. “The Emerging Leaders Class of 2023 exemplifies these qualities, offering original solutions to challenges and leading the future of our industry through sustainability and innovation.”

For more information about the 2023 OTC Conference or to purchase tickets, visit the OTC website.