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Amazon's EV robotaxi service Zoox is set to arrive in Houston

EV News

Eventually, Zook's purpose-built electric vehicles will be on Houston streets. Photo courtesy of Zook

Amazon-owned electric robotaxi ride-hailing service Zoox is zooming into Houston in September.

Initially, self-driving retrofitted SUVs with safety drivers on board will serve downtown Houston, centrally located tourist hotspots, and certain residential neighborhoods. The SUVs will test Houston roads before Zoox rolls out autonomous robotaxis, the company says.

Zoox takes Houston for a test drive

At the outset, Zoox says, a limited number of vehicles will be driven by people to gather data about Houston roads.

“This helps create a detailed picture of each street, from road geometry to traffic lights,” the company says. “Once we have mapped out an area, we will test autonomous driving capabilities. Safety and operational readiness govern the pace of our rollout.”

Zoox says its robotaxi differs from vehicles operated by other ride-hailing services.

The all-electric robotaxi “is purpose-built for autonomous ride-hailing and designed for riders from day one,” the company says. “It has no traditional driving controls and instead has carriage-style seating, sliding glass doors, and features that let the rider personalize their journey.”

To help manage the fleet, Zoox plans to open a depot in Houston for vehicle charging and maintenance, a representative says via email.

Along with Houston, Zoox is launching this month in San Diego. The ride-hailing service already operates in Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

Zoox breaks into “sprawling” Houston market

Zoox describes Houston as its “most sprawling market to date.”

“Driving here means navigating complex service-road networks, unique merging scenarios, and challenging environmental conditions, including severe heat, heavy rain, and urban flooding,” the company says. “It’s a rigorous test of our technology across geography and terrain.”

Zoox will join two other autonomous ride-hailing services in Houston:

  • Waymo began rolling in Houston in February. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, owns Waymo.
  • Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla began offering robotaxi services earlier this year.

A third Zoox competitor is arriving within the next year. A partnership comprising rideshare provider Uber, EV manufacturer Lucid, and autonomous technology company Nuro plans to launch a robotaxi service in Houston by mid-2027.

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

Here’s what Houston-area companies made the Fortune Global 500, and where they ranked. Photo via Getty Images

Leading energy companies power Houston's presence on Fortune Global 500

world class

Nine Houston companies landed on the 2026 Fortune Global 500 list, which ranks the world's largest corporations by revenue for the 2025 fiscal year.

Houston's showing on the list was led by energy companies, with Spring’s ExxonMobil claiming the top local spot. Here’s what Houston-area companies made the list, and where they ranked:

  • No. 15 ExxonMobil
  • No. 36 Chevron
  • No. 61 Phillip 66
  • No. 159 Sysco
  • No. 243 ConocoPhillips
  • No. 292 Enterprise Products Partners
  • No. 343 Plains GP Holdings
  • No. 460 SLB
  • No. 481 Hewlett Packard Enterprise

After 12 years as No.1, Arkansas-based Walmart was replaced this year by Seattle-based Amazon in the top spot for 2026. Amazon achieved this by bringing in $700 billion in revenue in 2025, representing a 12 percent increase from the previous year.

"Across global business, we see again and again that the leaders who are winning are those who embrace change,” Alyson Shontell, Fortune's editor in chief and chief content officer, said in a news release. "Amazon has topped the Fortune Global 500, knocking Walmart off its pedestal. The company has continually reinvented itself across new businesses and bold bets—including a $200 billion capital commitment, largely to building its capacity for AI and cloud computing, in this year alone."

The U.S. has 141 companies on the 2026 Fortune Global 500 list, which is the most of any country. Companies in America generated $15.5 trillion in aggregate revenues, a 6 percent increase from the previous year.

The number of women CEOs at Fortune Global 500 companies reached a record of 34 top leaders, who represented 6.8 percent of CEOs of companies on the list.

Technology was the standout growth industry on this year’s list, with 38 companies earning revenues that grew 20 percent to about $4 trillion in 2025, with profits climbing 36 percent to $835 billion. The financial sector accounted for the largest share of companies on the list again, with 123 companies in that sector. The energy sector claimed the No. 2 industry spot with 77 companies making the list.

In June, the Fortune 500 list was released, and Texas led the United States with 57 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the state, generating $2.8 trillion in combined revenue.

Twenty-six Houston-area companies landed on the latest Fortune 500 list. Photo via Getty Images

Houston earns No. 3 spot among cities with most Fortune 500 headquarters

biggest companies

Houston maintained its No. 3 status this year among U.S. metro areas with the most Fortune 500 headquarters. Fortune magazine tallied 26 Fortune 500 headquarters in the Houston area, behind only the New York City area (62) and the Chicago area (30).

Last year, 23 Houston-area companies landed on the Fortune 500 list. Fortune bases the list on revenue that a public or private company earns during its 2024 budget year.

On the Fortune 500 list for 2025, Spring-based ExxonMobil remained the highest-ranked company based in the Houston area as well as in Texas, sitting at No. 8 nationally. That’s down one spot from its No. 7 perch on the 2024 list. During its 2024 budget year, ExxonMobil reported revenue of $349.6 billion, up from $344.6 billion the previous year.

Here are the rankings and 2024 revenue for the 25 other Houston-area companies that made this year’s Fortune 500:

  • No. 16 Chevron, $202.8 billion
  • No. 28 Phillips 66, $145.5 billion
  • No. 56 Sysco, $78.8 billion
  • No. 75 Conoco Phillips, $56.9 million
  • No. 78 Enterprise Products Partners, $56.2 billion
  • No. 92 Plains GP Holdings, $50 billion
  • No. 143 Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, $30.1 billion
  • No. 153 NRG Energy, $28.1 billion
  • No. 155 Baker Hughes, $27.8 billion
  • No. 159 Occidental Petroleum, $26.9 billion
  • No. 183 EOG Resources, $23.7 billion
  • No. 184 Quanta Services, $23.7 billion
  • No. 194 Halliburton, $23 billion
  • No. 197 Waste Management, $22.1 billion
  • No. 214 Group 1 Automotive, $19.9 billion
  • No. 224 Corebridge Financial, $18.8 billion
  • No. 256 Targa Resources, $16.4 billion
  • No. 275 Cheniere Energy, $15.7 billion
  • No. 289 Kinder Morgan, $15.1 billion
  • No. 345 Westlake Corp., $12.1 billion
  • No. 422 APA, $9.7 billion
  • No. 443 NOV, $8.9 billion
  • No. 450 CenterPoint Energy, $8.6 billion
  • No. 474 Par Pacific Holdings, $8 billion
  • No. 480 KBR Inc., $7.7 billion

Nationally, the top five Fortune 500 companies are:

  • Walmart
  • Amazon
  • UnitedHealth Group
  • Apple
  • CVS Health

“The Fortune 500 is a literal roadmap to the rise and fall of markets, a reliable playbook of the world's most important regions, services, and products, and an indispensable roster of those companies' dynamic leaders,” Anastasia Nyrkovskaya, CEO of Fortune Media, said in a news release.

Among the states, Texas ranks second for the number of Fortune 500 headquarters (54), preceded by California (58) and followed by New York (53).

EDP Renewables North America LLC has announced four new solar projects in Texas, Mississippi and Illinois for major tech customers. Photo via Getty Images

Houston renewables developer powers 4 new solar parks for Amazon, Microsoft

now open

Houston-based EDP Renewables North America LLC announced that it has powered up four new projects across the country for customers Amazon and Microsoft.

The new projects come about a month after EDP Renewables powered up its new California solar park for Houston-based Shell Energy North America and the Eureka, California-based Redwood Coast Energy Authority.

EDP Renewables announced that it also launched the 100-megawatt Ragsdale Solar Park in Madison Country, Mississippi, in Q4 2024. Amazon has contracted for all 100 megawatts from the solar park through a 15-year power agreement.

The Ragsdale project is the company's second utility-scale project in Mississippi after EDP Renewables launched its Pearl River Solar Park last year.

“Ragsdale signifies EDP Renewables’ ongoing commitment to Mississippi, its communities, and local businesses. The opportunity to develop utility-scale solar and contract directly with customers like Amazon, who are also committed to expanding their own presence in Mississippi, has been invaluable," Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America, said in a statement. "We are proud to aid the state’s commercial and industrial growth with homegrown energy solutions."

Additionally, EDP Renewables has powered three new projects for tech-giant Microsoft, with two in Illinois and one in Texas.

In December EDP Renewables powered a 150-megawatt Cattlemen II Solar Project in Milam County, Texas, about 70 miles northeast of the Austin area. It joins the 240-megawatt Cattlemen I Solar Park, which came online a year prior.

The company also launched the 140-megawatt Wolf Run Solar Project near Jacksonville, Illinois, and the Hickory Solar Project in Jerseyville, Illinois, late last year. The Hickory project was developed in conjunction with D.C.-based Volt Energy Utility.

Microsoft has agreed to purchase 389 megawatts and renewable energy credits from the projects, which brings the portfolio between the two companies up to five projects in total. It also includes the Timber Road IV Wind Farm located in Payne, Ohio.

"The importance of ensuring benefits flowing from renewable energy development directly into communities has never been more important,” Ganapathy added in a statement. “Through these three additional projects, we’re keeping our promise – and indeed the industry’s promise – to contribute to the nation’s growing energy demand and in that process invest in long-lasting economic growth of our communities.”

Events not to miss, nomination deadline for awards program for innovative energy businesses, and more things to know this week. Photo via Getty Images

Calling all energy startups, Amazon enters the DAC chat, and more things to know this week

hou knew?

Editor's note: It's a new week — start it strong with three quick things to know in Houston's energy transition ecosystem. Submit an energy transition company to an awards program, read how Amazon entered the DAC conversation, and learn about events not to miss this week.

Houston Innovation Awards nominations coming to a close

Photo via Getty Images

If you haven't heard, EnergyCapital's sister site, InnovationMap, is accepting nominations for the 2023 Houston Innovation Awards. The deadline to submit is tomorrow, September 19, and there are several categories that might be of interest to the Houston energy transition ecosystem, such as:

  • Hardtech Business, honoring an innovative company developing and commercializing a physical technology
  • Digital Solutions Business, honoring an innovative company developing and programming a digital solution to a problem in an industry
  • Sustainability Business, honoring an innovative company providing a solution within renewables, climatetech, clean energy, alternative materials, circular economy, and beyond
  • Corporate of the Year, honoring a corporation that supports startups and/or the Houston innovation community
  • People's Choice: Startup of the Year, selected via an interactive voting portal during the event
Now, these are only a few categories this year. To submit a nomination and read more about the awards, click here.

Events to have on your radar

Photo courtesy of The Cannon

  • September 21 — The Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum is an opportunity to learn about the latest emerging technologies, meet investors to seek funding, see promising companies, and more. (Note: I'm moderating a panel about venture investment at 2 pm)
  • September 21 — UH Energy Symposium, a panel series, is hosting its next installment, entitled Plastics, Chemicals, Circularity: What's Next?
  • September 28 — Chevron Technology Ventures seeks to identify novel technologies and innovation systems that stand to transform and improve facility-focused operational efficiencies, via the Chevron Technology Ventures Pitch Competition. Six Houston companies will compete to win a tailored field trial opportunity with CTV experts, plus a six-month, complimentary, flexible-workspace membership at The Cannon.

Amazon makes investment in direct air capture by way of Houston-based Oxy

Photo via 1pointfive.com

Houston-based cleantech company 1PointFive is among the recipients of e-commerce giant Amazon’s first investments in carbon-fighting direct air capture (DAC).

Amazon has agreed to buy 250,000 metric tons of carbon removal credits from Stratos, 1PointFive’s first DAC plant, over a 10-year span. That commitment is equivalent to the amount of carbon stored naturally across more than 290,000 acres of U.S. forecasts, says Amazon.

As Amazon explains, DAC technology filters CO2 from the atmosphere and stores it in underground geological formations. Aside from being stored, removed carbon can be used to make building materials like bricks, cement, and concrete. Read more.

Amazon has agreed to buy 250,000 metric tons of carbon removal credits from 1PointFive’s first DAC plant. Photo via 1pointfive.com

Oxy's cleantech arm scores Amazon DAC investment

carbon capture client

Houston-based cleantech company 1PointFive is among the recipients of e-commerce giant Amazon’s first investments in carbon-fighting direct air capture (DAC).

Amazon has agreed to buy 250,000 metric tons of carbon removal credits from Stratos, 1PointFive’s first DAC plant, over a 10-year span. That commitment is equivalent to the amount of carbon stored naturally across more than 290,000 acres of U.S. forecasts, says Amazon.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

1PointFive is a carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) subsidiary of Houston-based energy company Occidental Petroleum.

The carbon captured for Amazon will be stored deep underground in saline aquifers — large geological rock formations that are saturated in saltwater.

As Amazon explains, DAC technology filters CO2 from the atmosphere and stores it in underground geological formations. Aside from being stored, removed carbon can be used to make building materials like bricks, cement, and concrete.

1PointFive is constructing its first DAC plant in Ector County, which is anchored by Odessa. The facility is expected to be the world’s largest DAC plant, capturing up to 500,000 tons of CO2 per year. Amazon Web Services (AWS) will provide real-time performance data for the plant.

“Amazon’s purchase and long-term contract represent a significant commitment to direct air capture as a vital carbon removal solution,” Michael Avery, president and general manager of 1PointFive, says in a news release. “We are excited to collaborate with Amazon to help them achieve their sustainability goals.”

1PointFive broke ground on the Stratos plant in April. Its project partners include British Columbia-based Carbon Engineering and Australia-based Worley. The plant is expected to be fully operational by mid-2025.

1PointFive envisions establishing more than 100 DAC facilities around the world by 2035.

The Amazon deal isn’t the only major deal for 1Point5 this summer.

In August, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $600 million grant for a 1PointFive-operated DAC hub that will be built in South Texas. The more than 100,000-acre hub, comprising 30 individual DAC projects, eventually may remove and store up to 30 million metric tons of CO2 per year.

Also in August, Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) said it reached an agreement with 1PointFive to buy 10,000 metric tons of carbon removal credits per year over a three-year period starting in 2025. The credits will be generated by 1PointFive’s Stratos plant.

In the U.S., DAC has gotten a huge boost from the federal government. The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022, includes tax credits for capturing and storing carbon via DAC.

The International Energy Agency says 27 DAC plants have been commissioned around the world, with at least 130 more in the development stage. One forecast predicts the value of the global market for DAC systems will climb past $2.3 billion by 2030.

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ExxonMobil secures approval for $5B East Texas carbon capture project

ccs expansion

Spring-based ExxonMobil has won approval from the Texas Railroad Commission for a $5 billion carbon capture and storage project in East Texas.

Dominic Genetti, senior vice president of CCS at ExxonMobil, told The Financial Times, which broke the news, that the Railroad Commission’s action is a “major milestone” that lets the company keep expanding along the Gulf Coast. In a 2-1 vote, commissioners authorized a carbon sequestration permit for the project.

“The Railroad Commission clearly recognizes the important role carbon capture and storage can play in meeting growing global demand for lower-carbon products while supporting new jobs and economic growth,” Genetti said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved ExxonMobil’s Rose CCS project last year.

The project will enable the company to inject about 53 metric tons of industrial customers’ carbon emissions into three underground wells it drilled in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area. Over a 13-year period, ExxonMobil plans to inject about 4 million metric tons per year into the Fleming and Upper Frio rock formations, according to Carbon Herald.

ExxonMobil says it owns the world’s first and largest CCS system, comprising 1,300 miles of CO2 pipeline and secure storage sites. Seventy percent of the pipelines are along the Gulf Coast.

The company ramped up its CCS business in 2023 with the $4.9 billion purchase of Denbury, which owned about 1,000 miles of CO2 pipelines.

“Our expertise, combined with Denbury’s talent and CO2 pipeline network, expands our low-carbon leadership and best positions us to meet the decarbonization needs of industrial customers while also reducing emissions in our own operations,” ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Darren Woods said when the deal closed.

In January, Genetti wrote in a post on ExxonMobil’s website that the company is committed to CCS “for the long haul.”

“CCS is not new technology, but it’s flown relatively under the radar compared with the attention that production of hydrocarbons commands,” he wrote. “Now, as the world becomes more aware of the need to reduce emissions, CCS finally has a brighter spotlight and a broader runway to scale up.”

The company also announced this week that it has begun CCS operations at a direct reduced iron facility in Convent, Louisiana. The project will capture, transport and store up to 800,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, according to the company.

Houston’s power future: The role of energy efficiency and demand response

The View from HETI

In Houston, industrial expansion, advanced manufacturing, data centers, AI, electrification, and population growth are all increasing demand for power across the region. At the same time, the infrastructure needed to support that growth, from generation and transmission to distribution and storage, takes significant time and investment to plan and build.

This growing power demand creates a near-term challenge: how can the region support new investment while major grid projects are planned and built?

A new report from the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, “Role of Efficiency & Demand Response to Meet Near-Term Regional Power Demand”, examines how Houston can get more from the grid it has today. Its central finding: energy efficiency (EE) and demand response (DE) can create measurable grid “headroom” while new major infrastructure projects are being planned, financed, permitted and built.

Explore the key takeaways from the report:

Houston’s power challenge affects economic growth

Houston’s ability to attract industrial investment increasingly depends on reliable, affordable power. ERCOT and MISO Texas project major load growth through 2030 and 2035 from industrial development, data centers, AI, advanced manufacturing and electrification.

Efficiency and demand response can lower peak demand and help manage local grid constraints that could slow growth.

EE and DE are different tools, and Houston needs both

Energy efficiency creates lasting reductions in electricity use through equipment upgrades, building improvements and changes in operations. Demand response lets customers temporarily reduce or shift power use based on grid conditions, incentives or market signals.

Texas programs show measurable results

In 2024, Texas investor-owned utility programs delivered about 609 MW of evaluated demand reduction and 603 GWh of annual energy savings. The report puts the lifetime cost of saved energy at about $0.02 per kWh.
CenterPoint Energy accounted for more than 40% of ERCOT investor-owned utilities’ total demand reduction and energy savings. It achieved about 236 MW of peak demand reduction and 229 GWh of energy savings, above goals of 66 MW and 116 GWh.

Entergy Texas also achieved significantly more demand reduction and energy savings than its 2024 program year goals, with a reported 24 MW of peak demand reduction against a goal of 17 MW and 43 GWh of energy savings against a goal of 30 GWh.

Large power users can add flexibility

Data centers, industrial facilities and advanced manufacturers may be able to shift noncritical work, adjust cooling, use on-site resources or briefly cut consumption.

The report states that verified demand savings, flexible loads and behind-the-meter resilience could help reduce interconnection risk and support more cost-effective growth.

Technology can expand options

Storage, smart controls and energy management systems can work with efficiency and demand response. Smaller loads can also be combined across commercial buildings, multifamily developments and homes.

For Houston, these tools do not replace new generation, transmission, distribution or storage. They can help the region use existing infrastructure more effectively while new capacity is built, supporting reliable, affordable power and continued economic growth.

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This article originally appeared 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, visit htxenergytransition.org. Download your copy of Role of Efficiency & Demand Response to Meet Near-Term Regional Power Demand to learn more.

Clean energy leaders taking the stage at Houston Energy and Climate Week

expert voices

Some of the biggest names in the clean energy scene will be sharing their expertise in Houston this week.

From leaders fresh off one of the industry's biggest IPOs to local organizers, here's who's speaking at promising panels and anchor events during Houston Energy and Climate Week—taking place now through Sept. 18. Visit each event's website for a full lineup.

Read more about Houston Energy and Climate Week and its programming in Energy Capital's event preview. Or learn more about the startups pitching at events throughout the week here.

Energy Solutions in a New Era Hosted by JERA & Mitsubishi Heavy Industries — Sept. 15 at the Ion

  • Mary Dhillon, strategy manager at Fervo Energy
  • Ricky Sakai, SVP of investment & business development at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America
  • Daniel Padilla, strategy & business development lead at Emerald AI
  • Adrian Trömel, chief innovation officer / interim vice president for innovation at Rice University (moderator)
  • Shigeki Uchihashi, VP of strategy & corporate venturing at JERA Americas

Cypher Pilotathon and Startup Showcase — Sept. 15 at POST Houston

  • Nada Ahmed, co-founder and CRO of Energytech Cypher
  • Taylor Chapman, investment principal at New Climate Ventures
  • Jason Ethier, co-founder and CEO of Energytech Cypher
  • Sean Kelly, CEO of Amperon
  • Ionel Nechiti, investment director for Aramco Ventures
  • Hema Prapoo, global energy industry leader from Microsoft
  • Ishan Rao, VP of commercial at Syzygy Plasmonics

Greentown Climatetech Summit — Sept. 16 at Greentown Labs

  • Arne Ballantine, co-founder of Ohmium International
  • David Baldwin, partner at SCF Partners
  • Christopher Hanson, former chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  • Tim Latimer, CEO and co-founder of Fervo Energy
  • Georgina Campbell Flatter, CEO of Greentown Labs
  • Nicolaus Radford, CEO and co-founder of Persona AI
  • Prag Mishra, chief AI officer at Armada
  • Jeremy Pitts, managing director at Activate
  • Bobby Gallagher, CEO, CTO and co-founder of Deployable Energy
  • Jason Wells, chair, president and CEO of CenterPoint Energy
  • Eliecer Viamontes, CEO of Entergy Texas

Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum — Sept. 17 at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business

  • Laurent Alteirac, enabling technology development manager at SLB
  • Kemal Anbarci, managing executive and general manager of venture capital at Chevron Technology Ventures
  • Sameer Bandhu, managing director of ventures and licensing at GE Vernova
  • Brad Burke, former associate vice president at Rice Office of Innovation and former executive director of Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship at Rice University (moderator)
  • Andres Cabada, managing director at Halliburton Labs
  • Quennie Co, managing partner at Shell Ventures
  • Rob Crane, technology scouting & venturing manager at ExxonMobil
  • Ira Ehrenpreis, founder and managing partner at DBL Partners
  • Menachem Elimelech, director of Rice Center for Membrane Excellence (RiCeME) at Rice University
  • Brian Iversen, founder & managing partner at Cimbria Capital
  • Dustin Kinder, CEO of Maverick Water Group
  • Megan Lund, lead of venturing strategy & strategic partnerships at Woodside Energy
  • Sean Maher, vice president of investor relations & chief economist at Phillips 66
  • Robert Mellors, SUPERHOT program director at ARPA-E
  • John (JR) Reale, interim associate vice president for industry and new ventures at Rice University and executive director of Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship at Rice University
  • Chad Seely, SVP of regulatory policy, general counsel, chief compliance officer, and corporate secretary at ERCOT
  • David Sholl, executive vice president for research and professor of chemical & biomolecular engineering at Rice University
  • Jim Sledzik, managing director of strategic venturing, North America, at Aramco Ventures
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