Dr. Drew Kassel is an Energy Analyst with IdeaSmiths, and a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Webber Energy Group at the University of Texas at Austin. In these roles, he consults and conducts research on large-scale energy systems and electric power infrastructure with a particular focus on electricity demand growth, transmission expansion, demand flexibility, and pathways for powering the emerging AI era. His research examines strategies for improving grid reliability and resilience under increasingly probable extreme weather events through the use of robust capacity expansion models and infrastructure planning tools, particularly within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). His work also explores the role of grid interconnections, distributed energy resources, and utility- and distributed-scale energy storage systems in future grid development scenarios.

Prior to joining the Webber Energy Group as a Postdoctoral Fellow in January 2026, Dr. Kassel completed his PhD at the University of Texas at Austin in November 2025. During his doctoral studies, he focused on big-picture energy systems research and the long-term evolution of electric power systems under conditions of rapid demand growth and changing reliability needs. Dr. Kassel holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he also completed a certificate in Engineering Thermal Energy Systems. Immediately following his graduation in May 2021, he moved to Texas to pursue graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin.