Led by Haotian Wang (left) and Feng-Yang Chen, the Rice University team published a study this month detailing how its reactor system sustainably converts waste into ammonia. Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University

A team of Rice University engineers has developed a reactor design that can decarbonize ammonia production, produce clean water and potentially have applications in further research into other eco-friendly chemical processes.

Led by Rice associate professor Haotian Wang, the team published a study this month in the journal Nature Catalysis that details how the new reactor system sustainably and efficiently converts nitrates (common pollutants found in industrial wastewater and agricultural runoff) into ammonia, according to the university. The research was supported by Rice and the National Science Foundation.

“Our findings suggest a new, greener method of addressing both water pollution and ammonia production, which could influence how industries and communities handle these challenges,” Wang says in a statement. “If we want to decarbonize the grid and reach net-zero goals by 2050, there is an urgent need to develop alternative ways to produce ammonia sustainably.”

Other methods of creating ammonia include the Haber-Bosh process and electrochemical synthesis. The Haber-Bosh process requires large-scale centralized infrastructure and high temperature and pressure conditions. Meanwhile, electrochemical synthesis requires a high concentration of additive chemicals.

According to Rice, the new reactor requires less additive chemicals than the electrochemical synthesis, allowing nitrates to be converted more sustainably. The reactor relies on an innovative porous solid electrolyte as well as recyclable ions and a three-chamber system to improve the reaction’s efficiency.

Additionally, this development provides an effective water decontamination method.

“We conducted experiments where we flowed nitrate-contaminated water through this reactor and measured the amount of ammonia produced and the purity of the treated water,” Feng-Yang Chen, a Rice graduate student who is the lead author on the study, says. “We discovered that our novel reactor system could turn nitrate-contaminated water into pure ammonia and clean water very efficiently, without the need for extra chemicals. In simple terms, you put wastewater in, and you get pure ammonia and purified water out.”

Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, director of the Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT) and the Water Technologies Entrepreneurship and Research (WaTER) Institute at Rice, says the reactor is "very timely and important" for growing cities that must deal with nitrate-contaminated groundwater supplies it.

"Conventional nitrate removal in drinking water treatment involves ion exchange or membrane filtration by reverse osmosis, which generates brines and transfers the nitrate problem from one phase to another,” he continues.

Wang's lab has been making headlines in recent years for innovative processes and technologies focused on the energy transition.

Last year, the lab published a study in Nature detailing a new technology that uses electricity to remove carbon dioxide from air capture to induce a water-and-oxygen-based electrochemical reaction, generating between 10 to 25 liters of high-purity carbon using only the power of a standard lightbulb.

In 2022, Rice reported that Wang’s lab in the George R. Brown School of Engineering had also replaced rare, expensive iridium with ruthenium, a more abundant precious metal, as the positive-electrode catalyst in a reactor that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen.

The lab received a portion of $10.8 million in research grants from the Houston-based Welch Foundation for research focused on converting carbon dioxide into useful chemicals, such as ethanol, last year. And Solidec, founded by Ryan Duchanois and Yang Xia from Wang's Lab, also received a $100,000 award from Rice as part of the One Small Step Grant program.

Wang has also been named among one of the most-cited researchers in the world.
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Houston startup secures $22 million for ERCOT energy storage projects

money moves

Houston-based GoodPeak has nailed down $22 million in construction debt financing to help build its first two 10-megawatt battery energy storage projects, both of which are expected to come online in the Houston area at the end of 2025.

GoodPeak secured the debt financing from financial services company Pathward and renewable energy lender BridgePeak Energy Capital.

GoodPeak says an undisclosed amount of funding from private equity firm Current Equity Partners and other investors will further spur growth. That growth starts with the construction of the two Houston-area battery energy storage projects, which will serve the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), whose power grid serves most of the state.

Aside from Current Equity Partners, investors in GoodPeak include executives, family offices, and energy industry advisers.

“GoodPeak plans to expand and diversify its development pipeline to include larger projects, integrated power generation, and data center development opportunities,” the company says in a news release.

GoodPeak’s initial development pipeline includes 10 ERCOT projects in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas, and 14 projects in Northern California. The combined capacity of the projects will be 1 gigawatt.

Founded in 2022 by Trent Kososki and Hayden Stanley, GoodPeak develops, owns, and operates utility-scale battery storage and solar power assets for “high-value, capacity-constrained locations.”

“Breaking ground on our first energy storage projects marks a major milestone for GoodPeak in helping to solve Texas’ grid challenges,” says Kososki, CEO of GoodPeak. “These projects will provide much-needed resilience to the grid, storing excess power during times of low demand and delivering it when it’s needed most — helping to stabilize energy prices, support renewable integration, and enhance overall reliability.”

In a 2024 LinkedIn post, Kososki wrote that he was “embarking upon a new adventure in establishing GoodPeak — a battery energy storage platform with a mission to aggressively pursue descent from the world’s mountain of carbon emissions.”

CenterPoint partners with AI and infrastructure companies to boost reliability

power partnership

Houston utilities giant CenterPoint is partnering with companies from Atlanta and Australia to use AI to increase data accuracy and strengthen the power grid.

The partnership is part of a collaboration between AI-powered predictive modeling platform company Neara and utility infrastructure asset assessment solutions company Osmose, according to a news release.

Last year, CenterPoint Energy announced an agreement with Neara for engineering-grade simulations and analytics and to deploy Neara’s AI capabilities across CenterPoint’s Greater Houston service area. Now, Neaera will work with Osmose to give energy providers like CenterPoint more up-to-date data to inform decisions on restorations and risks.

CenterPoint Energy is already using the partnership's tools to improve network reliability and enhance its storm preparedness.

"At CenterPoint Energy, we are focused every day on building the most resilient coastal grid in the nation and increasing the resiliency of the communities we are privileged to serve," Eric Easton, VP of Grid Transformation at CenterPoint Energy, said in a news release.

According to Osmose, its services to CenterPoint can result in repair cost savings of up to 70 percent and boost restoration times by up to 80 percent. Osmose also said its services assist with being 25 percent better at ensuring the most critical repairs happen first.

"By integrating Neara's AI-driven modeling with our industry-leading field services, we're giving utilities a powerful tool to make smarter, more data-driven decisions," Mike Adams, CEO of Osmose, said in a news release. "Accurate asset data is the foundation for a resilient grid, and this partnership provides the precision needed to maximize reliability and performance."

Ultimately, the companies say the partnership aims to help minimize disruptions and improve reliability for CenterPoint customers.

"As we work to leverage technology to deliver better outcomes for our customers, we're continuing to enhance our advanced modeling capabilities, which includes collaborating with cutting-edge technology providers like Neara and Osmose,” Easton added in the release.

Tesla sales tumble 13% as Musk backlash, competition and aging lineup turn off buyers

Tesla Talk

Tesla sales fell 13% in the first three months of the year, another sign that Elon Musk’s once high-flying electric car company is struggling to attract buyers.

The double-digit drop is likely due to a combination of factors, including its aging lineup, competition from rivals and a backlash from Musk’s embrace of right wing politics. It also is a warning that the company’s first-quarter earnings report later this month could disappoint investors.

Tesla reported deliveries of 336,681 globally in the January to March quarter. The figure was down from sales of 387,000 in the same period a year ago. The decline came despite deep discounts, zero financing and other incentives.

Analysts polled by FactSet expected much higher deliveries of 408,000.

Dan Ives of Wedbush said in a note to clients that Tesla is seeing soft demand in the United States and China, as well as facing pressure in Europe.

“The brand crisis issues are clearly having a negative impact on Tesla...there is no debate,” he said.

Ives said that Wall Street financial analysts knew the first-quarter figures were likely to be bad, but that it was even worse than expected, calling them a “disaster on every metric.”

The sales drop came three weeks after President Donald Trump held an extraordinary press conference outside the White House in which he praised Tesla, blasted boycotts against the company and bought a Tesla himself while TV cameras rolled in an effort to help lift sales.

“I don’t like what’s happening to you,” said Trump, before slipping into a red Model S and exclaiming, “Wow. That’s beautiful.”

After falling as much as 6% in early Wednesday, Tesla stock shot up more than 5% in afternoon trading after a report from Politico, citing anonymous sources, that Musk may soon step down from leadership of his Department of Government Efficiency, the cost-cutting group that has led to tens of thousands of federal workers losing their jobs.

Tesla investors have complained the DOGE work has diverted Musk's focus from Tesla, where he is the CEO. On Tuesday, New York City's comptroller overseeing pension funds down $300 million this year on Tesla holdings called for a lawsuit accusing a distracted Musk of "driving Tesla off a financial cliff.”

Tesla’s stock has plunged by roughly half since hitting a mid-December record as expectations of a lighter regulatory touch and big profits with Donald Trump as president were replaced by fear that the boycott of Musk's cars and other problems could hit the company hard.

Analysts are still not sure exactly how much the fall in sales is due to the protests or other factors. Electric car sales have been sluggish in general, and Tesla in particular is suffering as car buyers hold off from buying its bestselling Model Y while waiting for an updated version.

Still, even bullish financial analysts who earlier downplayed the backlash to Musk’s polarizing political stances are acknowledging that it is hurting the company, something that Musk also recently acknowledged.

“This is a very expensive job,” Musk said at a Wisconsin rally on Sunday, referring to his DOGE role. “My Tesla stock and the stock of everyone who holds Tesla has gone roughly in half."

The protests come as the Austin, Texas electric vehicle maker faces fierce competition from other EV makers offering vastly improved models, including those of BYD. The Chinese EV giant unveiled in March a technology that allows it cars to charge up in just five to eight minutes.

Tesla is expected to report earnings of 48 cents per share for the first quarter later this month, up 7% from a year earlier, according to a survey of financial analysts who the car company by research firm FactSet.

Nearly all of Tesla’s sales in the quarter came from the smaller and less-expensive Models 3 and Y, with the company selling less than 13,000 more expensive models, which include X and S as well as the Cybertruck.