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Houston energy transition events not to miss, expert commentary on climate crisis, and more things to know

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Houston energy transition folks — here's what to know to start your week. Photo via Getty Images

Editor's note: Start your week off strong with three quick things to catch up on in Houston's energy transition: a roundup of events not to miss, a new Houston energy executive to know, and more.

Events not to miss

Put these Houston-area energy-related events on your calendar.

    • Future of Energy Summit is Tuesday, February 6, at AC Hotel by Marriott Houston Downtown. Register.
    • The 2024 NAPE Summit is Wednesday, February 7, to Friday, February 9, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. It's the energy industry’s marketplace for the buying, selling and trading of prospects and producing properties. Register.
    • The De Lange Conference, taking place February 9 and 10 at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is centered around the theme “Brave New Worlds: Who Decides? Research, Risk and Responsibility” this year. Register.
    • The Future of Energy Across the Americas: Helping Lawyers Predict and Adapt — the 2024 Houston Energy Conference — is February 27 to March 1. Register.
    • CERAWeek 2024 is Monday, March 18, to Friday, March 22, in the George R. Brown Convention Center. Register.

    ​Commentary: Chris Wood, co-founder of Moonshot Compost, on loving the climate apocalypse​

    Chris Wood knows that the last thing anyone wants to be reminded of in 2024 is the impending climate apocalypse, but, as he writes in his guest column, "There is a scientific consensus that the world climate is trending towards uninhabitable for many species, including humans, due in large part to results of human activity."

    He cites a report that 93 percent “believe that climate change poses a serious and imminent threat to the planet.”

    "Until recently reviewing this report, I was unaware that 93 percent of any of us could agree on anything," he writes. "It got me thinking, how much of our problem today is based on misunderstanding both the nature of the problem and the solution?" Read more.

    New hire: Bracewell names new partner to advise clients on energy transition tax incentives

    Bracewell announced that Jennifer Speck has joined the firm's tax department as a partner in the Houston office. Speck will advise clients on energy transition tax incentives.

    Some of her experiences include onshore and offshore wind, solar, carbon capture, clean hydrogen and clean fuel projects. She recently served as senior manager of tax and regulatory compliance at Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC. She graduated in 2010 with a B.F.A. in mental health psychology from Northeastern State University, and received her J.D., with honors, from The University of Tulsa College of Law in 2012. Read more.

    The De Lange Conference is taking place February 9 and 10 at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. Photo by Gustavo Raskosky/Rice University

    Upcoming Houston conference to address biology, technology and climate change

    on the radar

    Every other year, Rice University hosts a conference that addresses "issues of great concern to society," and this year will look at the intersection of technology, biology, and climate change.

    The De Lange Conference, taking place February 9 and 10 at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is centered around the theme “Brave New Worlds: Who Decides? Research, Risk and Responsibility” this year. Chaired by Luis Campos, Baker College Chair for the History of Science, Technology and Innovation, the conference is an initiative of Rice’s faculty-led consortium Scientia Institute.

    “We wanted to have a broad topic that would connect a lot of different disciplines and parts of campus,” Campos says in a news release. “Synthetic biology, the uses of data, climate change—whatever our field, job or profession, we have all heard of these things, and we all want to know more about them. So we’re bringing in scholars, scientists and artists to think about how these frontiers of scientific innovation and research relate to larger social contexts.

    “Everybody is concerned with the future of their health, the future of their society, the future of the climate that they live in and the future of how their data is being used. This is a conference that weaves all those realms together with forms of artistic intervention and creative practice.”

    Rice’s De Lange Conference explores future of synthetic biology, data technology and climate changewww.youtube.com

    Attendees of the event can anticipate two days of discussions led by thought leaders, artistic interventions, screenings, and more from a roster of scientists, researchers, scholars, and artists. The full schedule is listed online.

    The event is free to attend, but registration is required.

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    Nominate Houston's energy trailblazers for the 2025 Innovation Awards

    Awards Season

    Calling all Houston energy innovators: The Houston Innovation Awards return this fall to celebrate the best and brightest in the Houston innovation ecosystem, and that includes those leading the energy transition.

    Presented by InnovationMap, the fifth annual Houston Innovation Awards will take place November 5 at TMC Helix Park.

    The awards program will honor the top startups and innovators in Houston across 10 categories, and we're asking you to nominate the most deserving Houston innovators and innovative companies, including those in the energy transition sector.

    This year's categories are:

    • Minority-founded Business, honoring an innovative startup founded or co-founded by BIPOC or LGBTQ+ representation.
    • Female-founded Business, honoring an innovative startup founded or co-founded by a woman.
    • Energy Transition Business, honoring an innovative startup providing a solution within renewables, climatetech, clean energy, alternative materials, circular economy, and beyond.
    • Health Tech Business, honoring an innovative startup within the health and medical technology sectors.
    • Deep Tech Business, honoring an innovative startup providing technology solutions based on substantial scientific or engineering challenges, including those in the AI, robotics, and space sectors.
    • Startup of the Year (People's Choice), honoring a startup celebrating a recent milestone or success. The winner will be selected by the community via an interactive voting experience.
    • Scaleup of the Year, honoring an innovative later-stage startup that's recently reached a significant milestone in company growth.
    • Incubator/Accelerator of the Year, honoring a local incubator or accelerator that is championing and fueling the growth of Houston startups.
    • Mentor of the Year, honoring an individual who dedicates their time and expertise to guide and support budding entrepreneurs.
    • Trailblazer, honoring an innovator who's made a lasting impact on the Houston innovation community.

    Nominations may be made on behalf of yourself, your organization, and other leaders and institutions in the local innovation scene. The nomination period closes on August 31, so don't delay — nominate today at this link, or fill out the embedded form below.

    A panel of esteemed judges will review the nominations, and determine the finalists and winners. Finalists will be unveiled on InnovationMap.com on September 30, and the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards winners will be announced live at an event on November 5.

    Tickets will go on sale this fall. Stay tuned for that announcement.

    Interested in Innovation Awards sponsorship opportunities? Please contact sales@innovationmap.com.

    Texas solar project strikes deal with Meta and more energy news to know

    Hot Topics

    Editor's note: We're looking back at the top trending energy transition news from the first half of August. Enbridge and Meta strike a deal, a Houston startup raises pre-seed funds, an innovative recycling support center breaks ground, and more. Here are the five most-read stories on EnergyCapitalHTX from August 1-15:

    1. Enbridge's new Texas solar project to power Meta data centers

    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. Continue reading.

    2. Houston clean-chemicals startup Solidec raises $2M to scale tech

    Houston-based Solidec has closed an oversubscribed pre-seed round led by New Climate Ventures. Photo courtesy Greentown Labs.

    Solidec, a Houston startup that specializes in manufacturing “clean” chemicals, has raised more than $2 million in pre-seed funding. Houston-based New Climate Ventures led the oversubscribed pre-seed round, with participation from Plug and Play Ventures, Ecosphere Ventures, the Collaborative Fund, Safar Partners, Echo River Capital and Semilla Climate Capital, among other investors. Continue reading.

    3. Houston-area logistics co. breaks ground on recycling center tied to circularity hub

    Chambers County has helped fund a new recycling support center in Mont Belvieu that will process post-consumer plastic materials. Photo via Getty Images.

    TALKE USA Inc., a Houston-area arm of German logistics company TALKE, broke ground on its new Recycling Support Center in Mont Belvieu August 1. The facility will process post-consumer plastic materials, which will then be further processed at Cyclyx's new Houston-based Circularity Center, a first-of-its-kind plastic waste sorting and processing facility that was developed through a joint venture between Cyclix, ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell. The materials will ultimately be converted into recycling feedstock. Continue reading.

    4. Japanese energy tech manufacturer officially relocates U.S. HQ to Houston

    TMEIC Corporation Americas has moved its U.S. headquarters to Houston. Photo via tmeic.com

    TMEIC Corporation Americas has officially relocated its headquarters from Roanoke, Virginia, to Houston. TMEIC Corporation Americas, a group company of Japan-based TMEIC Corporation Japan, recently inaugurated its new space in the Energy Corridor. The new HQ occupies the 10th floor at 1080 Eldridge Parkway. The company first announced the move last summer. Continue reading.

    5. Energy experts: Executive order enhances federal permitting for AI data centers

    A new EO could streamline regulatory burdens for the development of data centers supporting AI. Getty Images

    In an effort to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) aimed at expediting the federal permitting process for data centers, particularly those supporting AI inference, training, simulation, or synthetic data generation. The EO seeks to streamline regulatory burdens and utilize federal resources to encourage the development of data centers supporting AI, as well as the physical components and energy infrastructure needed to construct and provide power to these data centers. Continue reading.

    UH launches latest micro-credential program focused on energy risks

    coming soon

    UH Energy at the University of Houston will launch a new micro-credential program this fall focused on risks associated with today's changing energy landscape.

    The new self-paced, hybrid program, known as Managing Non-Technical Risks in Energy, is geared towards energy professionals and those who aspire to work in the industry. Enrollment must be completed by Sept. 15 to participate.

    According to UH, it will equip participants with "tools, strategies, and real-world insights needed to lead confidently" as they face pressure to meet increased energy demand while also operating under sustainable guidelines.

    The program will be led by expert instructors, including:


    • Suryanarayanan Radhakrishnan, Managing Director of UH Energy
    • Amy Mifflin, Principal Consultant and Partner at Sustrio Inc.
    • Chris Angelides, Honorary Consul of The Republic of Cyprus to Texas, Managing Director at Ernst & Young LLP
    • Carolina Ortega, Vice President, Sustainability and Communications at Milestone Environmental Services
    • Krish (Ravi) Ravishankar, Senior Director ESG Analytics & Reporting, Sustainability, Worldwide Environmental Affairs at Oxy

    Participants can earn up to three "badges" through the program. Each badge consists of two modules, which can be completed virtually and take about 10 hours to complete over four weeks.

    Each module will also include one in-person engagement session that will last about two hours.

    The three badges include:


    • Badge 1: Managing Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts
    • Badge 2: Frameworks, Standards, and Implementation
    • Badge 3: Advanced Applications

    Badges can be earned individually or as a series of three, and participants must complete assessments to earn each badge.

    Badge 1 Module 1 will start on Sept. 15, followed by Badge 1 Module 2 on Oct. 20. Find more information here.

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