Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top energy transition news for the second half of April. The five most-read EnergyCaptialHTX stories include a new partnership between ExxonMobil and Rice, CenterPoint's grid resiliency update, and more. Read them all below.
ExxonMobil, Rice launch sustainability initiative with first project underway
Under a new agreement, ExxonMobil and Rice University aim to develop “systematic and comprehensive solutions” to support the global energy transition. Photo via Getty Images.
Houston-based ExxonMobil and Rice University announced a master research agreement to collaborate on research initiatives on sustainable energy efforts and solutions. The agreement includes one project that’s underway and more that are expected to launch this year.
“Our commitment to science and engineering, combined with Rice’s exceptional resources for research and innovation, will drive solutions to help meet growing energy demand,” Mike Zamora, president of ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Co., said. “We’re thrilled to work together with Rice.”
Rice and Exxon will aim to develop “systematic and comprehensive solutions” to support the global energy transition, according to Rice. The university will pull from the university’s prowess in materials science, polymers and catalysts, high-performance computing and applied mathematics. Continue reading.
Houston expert: From EVs to F-35s — materials that power our future are in short supply
No critical minerals, no modern economy. Getty images
If you’re reading this on a phone, driving an EV, flying in a plane, or relying on the power grid to keep your lights on, you’re benefiting from critical minerals. These are the building blocks of modern life. Things like copper, lithium, nickel, rare earth elements, and titanium, they’re found in everything from smartphones to solar panels to F-35 fighter jets.
In short: no critical minerals, no modern economy.
These minerals aren’t just useful, they’re essential. And in the U.S., we don’t produce enough of them. Worse, we’re heavily dependent on countries that don’t always have our best interests at heart. That’s a serious vulnerability, and we’ve done far too little to fix it. Continue reading Scott Nyquist's guest column.
CenterPoint reports progress on grid improvements ahead of 2025 hurricane season
CenterPoint Energy aims to complete its suite of grid resiliency projects before the 2025 hurricane season. Photo via centerpointenergy.com
As part of an ongoing process to make Houston better prepared for climate disasters, CenterPoint Energy announced its latest progress update on the second phase of the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI).
CenterPoint reported that it has completed 70 percent of its resiliency work and all GHRI-related actions are expected to be complete before the official start of the 2025 hurricane season.
"Our entire CenterPoint Houston Electric team is focused on completing this historic suite of grid resiliency actions before the start of hurricane season,” Darin Carroll, Senior Vice President of CenterPoint's Electric Business. “That is our goal, and we will achieve it. To date, we have made significant progress as part of this historic effort.” Continue reading.
TEX-E hosts inaugural energy and climate conference in Houston this month
Energy leaders will discuss AI in energy, climate venture funding and the evolving energy workforce at the first-ever TEX-E Conference on Tuesday, April 15, at the Ion. Photo via the Ion
The Texas Exchange for Energy & Climate Entrepreneurship hosted its inaugural TEX-E Conference on April 15 at the Ion.
The half-day event brought together industry leaders, students, researchers, and others for panels and discussions centered around the theme of Energy & Entrepreneurship: Navigating the Future of Climate Tech. Topics covered included AI in energy, climate venture funding, and the evolving energy workforce.
Bobby Tudor, CEO of Artemis Energy Partners, presented the keynote. Continue reading.
Rice researchers' quantum breakthrough could pave the way for next-gen superconductors
Researchers from Rice University say their recent findings could revolutionize power grids, making energy transmission more efficient. Image via Getty Images.
A new study from researchers at Rice University, published in Nature Communications, could lead to future advances in superconductors with the potential to transform energy use.
The study revealed that electrons in strange metals, which exhibit unusual resistance to electricity and behave strangely at low temperatures, become more entangled at a specific tipping point, shedding new light on these materials.
A team led by Rice’s Qimiao Si, the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Professor of Physics and Astronomy, used quantum Fisher information (QFI), a concept from quantum metrology, to measure how electron interactions evolve under extreme conditions. Their work showed that the quantum phenomenon of electron entanglement peaks at a quantum critical point, which is the transition between two states of matter. Continue reading.