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Building the future of STEM leadership at Houston's energy-focused high school

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The Energy Institute High School is uniquely positioned to build a lifelong foundation for those pursuing degrees and careers in the energy industry. Photo via htxenergytransition.org

Established in 2013, Houston’s Energy Institute High School is the first of its kind in the United States. Houston Independent School District (HISD), the nation’s seventh-largest school district, opened the innovative, STEM-focused magnet high school to support Houston’s increasing demand for STEM education and align with the city’s status as a major energy hub.

As the Energy Capital of the World, Houston is the leading domestic and international center for virtually every segment of the energy industry. It’s home to more than 4,700 energy-related firms, employs nearly a third of the nation’s jobs in oil and gas extraction, and boasts the world’s fourth-largest concentration of engineers. Houston’s economic vitality and growth is inextricably tied to the energy industry and depends on a strong STEM talent pool for the future.

The Energy Institute High School is uniquely positioned to build a lifelong foundation for those pursuing degrees and careers in the energy industry. The specialized high school prepares students for careers in the energy sector, as well as related fields such as environmental science and engineering, by providing a specialized learning experience centered around science, technology, engineering, and math. The Energy Institute High School integrates the energy theme into its entire STEM curriculum through a wide array of technology, hands-on projects, and experiential learning designed to inspire students and fuel continued interest in the energy field. And with up to 60% of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the school plays a crucial role in fostering equal education opportunities and breaking down barriers to success that many students face.

“As principal of the first high school devoted to preparing students for careers in the energy field, my goal is to deliver extraordinary firsts in learning,” said Lori Lambropoulos, Principal of Energy Institute High School. “I am thrilled to be the leader of a school that is participating in a thematic approach to the school experience—mingling the exploration of energy careers with cutting-edge education.”

Over the years, the school has cultivated partnerships with local energy companies, organizations, and institutions—including HETI founding members bp, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and lyondellbasell—to provide students with real-world experiences and coveted industry connections. The Energy Institute High School works closely with an advisory board comprised of energy industry leaders and higher-education professionals to provide programs and enrichment opportunities for students, including:

  • A biweekly guest speaker series
  • University campus tours
  • Field trip sponsorships
  • Mentorship opportunities
  • College scholarships
  • Internships and externships

These partnerships have provided students from Energy Institute High School with invaluable networking opportunities and firsthand insights into the energy industry.

As the energy industry shifts toward a more efficient and sustainable, low-carbon future, graduates from the Energy Institute High School will play a vital role in accelerating the energy transition, not only in Houston, but across the world.

Learn more about Energy Institute High School and how you can support their mission through Friends of Energy Institute.

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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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Rice University spinouts named among 50 top cleantech companies to watch

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Two Rice University spinouts, Coflux Purification and DexMat, appear on a new list of the world’s 50 cleantech companies to watch.

Cleantech Group’s 2026 Cleantech 50 to Watch list recognizes early-stage companies “creating groundbreaking solutions to address some of the world’s most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges.”

Cleantech Group, a market research, consulting, and events company, selects the 50 honorees based on insights from analysts and early-stage innovators, along with public nominations.

Destroying “forever chemicals”

Coflux, founded in 2024, offers an onsite treatment system that captures and destroys manufactured “forever chemicals”—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—in water and wastewater. It’s a member of Greentown Houston.

Alec Ajnsztajn, CEO; Jeremy Daum, chief technology officer; and Dana Vazquez, chief commercial officer, co-founded Coflux. Ajnsztajn and Daum earned doctoral degrees from Rice, and Vazquez earned an MBA from the university.

Coflux spun out of Rice labs directed by professors Rafael Verduzco and Pulickel Ajayan.

Last year, Coflux received a $175,000 grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The startup has also raised more than $500,000 in non-dilutive funding, including $80,000 awarded in 2024 by Rice’s One Small Step Grant program.

Promoting an alternative to copper

DexMat, founded in 2015, produces carbon nanotube products such as fibers, yarns, cables, and fabric. The company’s products address demand for materials that can reduce carbon emissions, according to CB Insights.

Its main product, Galvorn, is a copper alternative made of carbon nanotube fibers. CB Insights says Galvorn is engineered to be lighter and stronger than traditional conductive materials like carbon and steel. It’s used in industries such as energy, aerospace, defense, automotive, consumer electronics, and health care.

DexMat emerged from Matteo Pasquali’s Carbon Lab at Rice. Pasquali, co-founder of DexMat, co-invented the company’s technology with the late Nobel Prize-winning chemist Rick Smalley. Smalley was a professor of chemistry, physics, and astronomy at Rice.

Pasquali is a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, chemistry, materials science, and nanoengineering at Rice. He co-founded DexMat with Rice graduate Dmitri Tsentalovich, the company’s director of product innovation.

Earlier this year, DexMat raised $5 million in seed funding from Non Sibi Ventures, Governance Partners, Tailwind Futures, BetterWay, Capital Factory, and other investors. The company also secured $3 million in non-dilutive funding.

In 2023, DexMat raised $3 million in a pre-seed round led by Shell Ventures.

Stardust Power, Power Electronics expand to Houston and more top energy news

Trending News

Editor's note: October brings big updates for the energy transition sector, with two companies expanding to Houston and two more announcing major funding. Here are the five most-read stories published on EnergyCapital from September 30-October 15, 2026:

Lithium refiner expands into Houston with new Energy Corridor office

Battery-grade lithium carbonate manufacturer Stardust Power has expanded into Houston’s Energy Corridor, the company tells EnergyCapitalHTX. The company’s new office will serve as a project execution hub to support operations and planning for the company’s forthcoming lithium refinery in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The Greenwich, Connecticut-based, publicly traded company says the facility will be one of the largest lithium refining operations in the United States. The refinery is expected to have production capacity of up to 50,000 metric tons per year and seeks to address the critical shortage of U.S. lithium refining capacity. Continue reading.

Houston geothermal company picks Nevada site for commercial-scale project

Sage Geosystems, a Houston-based developer of geothermal power systems, has chosen a site in Nevada for its commercial-scale Project Vector facility. The company’s two-well enhanced geothermal system (EGS) will deliver around-the-clock geothermal heat to Ormat Technologies’ Blue Mountain geothermal power plant in Winnemucca, Nevada. The startup expects to begin drilling the first well later this year, with the first electricity to be generated in 2027 and full-scale production to start in 2028. Continue reading.

Houston carbon removal company secures $35M in financing

Houston-based Vaulted Deep, a waste management and carbon removal company, has announced a major $35 million debt facility from Italian investment bank Mediobanca to support its national expansion. U.K.-based market energy solutions CFP Energy arranged the deal, which is “the largest publicly disclosed U.S. commercial debt deal in durable carbon removal to be secured by long-term purchase contracts,” according to a news release from the companies. Continue reading.

Hertha Metals raises $133M Series A round, plans high-purity iron plant

Conroe-based Hertha Metals has closed a $133.65 million Series A round that includes a $65 million equity investment from the Pentagon. The startup uses a one-step process to convert iron into molten steel or high-purity iron. Khosla Ventures and Doerr Capital co-led the round, with participation from CEV, Pear Ventures, Gates Frontier, Niterra SUISO no MORI Fund, Toyota Ventures, and Siemens Financial Services. Continue reading.

European cleantech company breaks ground on Houston manufacturing site

Spanish renewable energy company Power Electronics broke ground on its new 53-acre Houston campus on Sept. 24. The new site is expected to create over 400 local jobs and deliver 40 gigawatts of production capacity per year. The company said that the campus is expected to be the largest manufacturing site for power conversion systems in the U.S. Power Electronics specializes in solar, energy storage, data centers and electrification technologies. Continue reading.

TotalEnergies expands solar joint venture with $1.2B portfolio in Texas, Ohio

solar expansion

TotalEnergies, a French company whose U.S. headquarters is in Houston, announced this month that it is expanding its renewable energy joint venture with New York-based investment firm KKR by adding 700 megawatts of utility-scale solar projects.

The deal will add three utility-scale solar assets in Texas and Ohio, which are expected to reach commercial operation by Q1 2027, according to a news release from the company. The portfolio is valued at $1.2 billion.

The 50/50 joint venture between TotalEnergies and KKR currently holds 1.4 gigawatts of renewable energy and will grow to 2.1 gigawatts.

The new deal is expected to close this year. Once completed, TotalEnergies will operate the assets. The electricity generated from the solar projects will be sold to third parties, the company reports.

The companies originally formed the joint venture about a year ago when TotalEnergies sold KKR a 50 percent stake in a North American solar portfolio valued at $1.25 billion. The deal originally included six utility-scale solar assets, primarily located in the U.S.

“TotalEnergies is a renewable energy industry leader globally, and we are thrilled to establish this joint venture with the TotalEnergies team to support their renewables business," Cecilio Velasco, managing director KKR, said in a release last year. “We have long been investors in renewables through our infrastructure platform, having committed more than $23 billion to date in energy transition investments. TotalEnergies’ North American solar portfolio is a great fit for us, representing high-quality renewable energy assets with long term contracts.”

TotalEnergies reports that by June 2026 it held more than 37 gigawatts of gross renewable power generation capacity. It aims to achieve over 100 terawatt-hours of net electricity production by 2030.

The company signed a major power purchase agreement with Google earlier this year. Through the deal, TotalEnergies will supply the tech giant with 1 gigawatt of solar power for its data centers in Texas over a 15-year span.

However, the company also recently redirected nearly $1 billion in capital away from wind energy projects and "decided to renounce offshore wind development in the United States." Read more here.

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