Benjamin Burke of Gradient Geothermal to Speak at UW Nov. 6

Benjamin Burke, chief executive officer of Gradient Geothermal, will speak at the University of Wyoming as part of the School of Energy Resources' (SER) Distinguished Speaker Series Friday, Nov. 6.

Burke will speak from noon-1 p.m. in the UW Energy Innovation Center's Encana Auditorium. The free lunch presentation is open to all students, members of the campus community and the public.

His talk is titled "The Benefits and Challenges of Geothermal Power Generation for Different Markets" and will examine the evolving landscape of geothermal energy -- and its role as a key driver in the global energy industry.

Drawing from Gradient Geothermal's pioneering work in repurposing hydrocarbon infrastructure and deploying modular geothermal systems, Burke will discuss how geothermal energy can evolve from a niche regional power source into a flexible, distributed energy solution across diverse commercial and industrial sectors.

"We are excited to welcome Dr. Benjamin Burke to the University of Wyoming campus," says Christine Reed, SER director of outreach. "His visit is a great chance for the broader UW community to learn about geothermal energy directly from someone working on the front lines of subsurface innovation. We also are excited to connect him with UW researchers to explore potential applications right here in Wyoming."

A geoscientist, energy executive and entrepreneur with extensive experience spanning subsurface resource management, environmental consulting, energy markets and geochemical data analytics, Burke co-founded Denver-based Gradient Geothermal in 2020 to convert existing oil and gas well infrastructure into clean, modular geothermal energy systems.

Before leading Gradient Geothermal, Burke held senior technical and managerial roles across major exploration and production operators, including ExxonMobil, Noble Energy, HighPoint Resources and Fifth Creek Energy Operating Company.

A livestream of the lunchtime presentation can be viewed at https://uwyo.zoom.us/s/99441008201.

For more information, email Reed at [email protected].