February 21, 2026
6.5 GW Building, No Water Plan, No Local ConsentUTA Presidential Distinguished Professor Dereje Agonafer is leading a DOE ARPA-E COOLERCHIPS initiative to push cooling energy below 5% of IT load, down from today's 40%.
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Dereje Agonafer
Dereje Agonafer is a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin who conducts research on thermal management and cooling systems relevant to data center operations.
Referenced in 2 briefingsLast referenced: February 21, 2026
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February 18, 2026
Texas Attracts Megawatts Faster Than It Can Write the Rules to Manage ThemProfessor Dereje Agonafer's team at UT Arlington, backed by $42 million in ARPA-E COOLERCHIPS funding, is targeting a proof of concept by mid-2026 that would cut cooling from 40% of total facility power to under 5%.
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