the view from heti

Houston is at the heart of an 'all of the above' energy transition strategy

Jane Stricker, executive director of HETI, on two years of the organization and the dual challenge the industry faces. Photo via GHP

As the Houston region continues to have important conversations about energy and climate in the energy capital of the world, it’s helpful to frame the discussion in terms of the dual challenge.

On one hand, our world needs energy companies across all sectors to continue to develop and deliver energy for all parts of the world – energy that is affordable and reliable and can enable the level of population and GDP growth anticipated over the next 30 years. At the same time, we need to find a way to significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and distribution of that energy to reduce the risks and impacts associated with climate change on our world.

As the global energy landscape continues to evolve – across the entire value chain, just in the two years since HETI was launched, there is an even greater urgency to leverage all available solutions to address the dual challenge.

We must be able to recognize that there is no silver bullet, no single technology and no single source of energy today that can get the world to net zero by 2050. However, that doesn’t mean we should give up. As the energy transition capital of the world, Houston continues to demonstrate that can lead in developing and deploying “all of the above” energy solutions needed to reach our ambitious goals.

With over 200 new cleantech and climatetech startups alongside some of the largest energy leaders who know how to scale technology, Houston is uniquely positioned to lead the way in technology development and commercial deployment to meet the dual challenge. Whether it’s implementing a carbon capture and storage project along Houston’s ship channel, piloting small modular nuclear reactor technology to enable zero carbon energy for chemical production in Seadrift, or converting an abandoned landfill in the middle of Houston’s Sunnyside community into the largest urban solar farm in the U.S. to create both zero carbon power and economic opportunity for the community, Houston is charging forward on all fronts to meet the dual challenge.

We cannot afford to sacrifice progress in search of a perfect solution, and Houston embraces this perspective in the way our region is coming together across the entire energy ecosystem to build on our leadership and lead the world to an energy-abundant, low-carbon future.

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This article originally ran on the Greater Houston Partnership's Houston Energy Transition Initiative blog. HETI exists to support Houston's future as an energy leader. For more information about the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, EnergyCapitalHTX's presenting sponsor, visit htxenergytransition.org.

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A View From HETI

Meta has agreed to purchase 100 percent of the power generated by Enbridge's $900 million solar project near San Antonio. Photo via Getty Images.

Construction is underway on a new 600-megawatt solar project in Texas that will supply renewable energy to Meta Platforms Inc., the owner of Facebook, Instagram and other tech platforms.

Calgary-based Enbridge Inc., whose gas transmission and midstream operations are based in Houston, announced that Meta has agreed to purchase 100 percent of the power generated by its new $900 million solar project known as Clear Fork.

The clean energy developed at Clear Fork will be used to support Meta’s data center operations, according to a news release from Enbridge. Meta has had net-zero emissions across its operational portfolio since 2020, according to its 2024 environmental report. The company matches 100 percent of its data center usage with renewable energy.

"We are thrilled to partner with Enbridge to bring new renewable energy to Texas and help support our operations with 100% clean energy, " Urvi Parekh, Head of Global Energy at Meta, said in a news release.

The Clear Fork project is expected to be operational by the summer of 2027. It will join Enbridge’s first solar power project in Texas, Orange Grove, which was activated earlier this year, as well as the company’s Sequoia solar project, which is scheduled to go online in early 2026.

"Clear Fork demonstrates the growing demand for renewable power across North America from blue-chip companies who are involved in technology and data center operations," Matthew Akman, executive vice president of corporate strategy and president of power at Enbridge, said in the news release. "Enbridge continues to advance its world-class renewables development portfolio using our financial strength, supply chain reach and construction expertise under a low-risk commercial model that delivers strong competitive returns."

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