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Houston companies scoop up $31 million in funds from DOE, EPA methane emissions program

fresh funds

Seven projects from Houston companies were granted more than $41 million in federal and non-federal funding through the Methane Emissions Reduction Program. Photo via Canva

The U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of seven projects from Houston companies to receive funding through the Methane Emissions Reduction Program.

The projects are among 43 others nationwide, including 12 from Texas, that reduce, monitor, measure, and quantify methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. The DOE and EPA awarded $850 million in total through the program.

The Houston companies picked up $31.7 million in federal funding through the program in addition to more than $9.5 million in non-federal dollars.

“I’m excited about the opportunities these will create internally but even more so the creation of jobs and training opportunities for the communities in which we work,” Scott McCurdy, Encino Environmental Services CEO, said in a news release. His company received awards for two projects.

“These projects will allow us to further support and strengthen the U.S. Energy industry’s ability to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy globally,” he added.

The Houston-area awards included:

DaphneTech USA LLC

Total funding: $5.8 million (approximately $4.5 million in federal, $1.3 million in non-federal)

The award was granted for the company’s Daphne and Williams Methane Slip Abatement Plasma-Catalyst Scale-Up project. Daphne will study how its SlipPure technology, a novel exhaust gas cleaning system that abates methane and exhaust gas pollution from natural gas-fueled engines, can be economically viable across multiple engine types and operating conditions.

Baker Hughes Energy Transition LLC 

Total funding: $7.47 million (approximately $6 million in federal, $1.5 million in non-federal)

The award was granted for the company’s Advancing Low Cost CH4 Emissions Reduction from Flares through Large Scale Deployment of Retrofittable and Adaptive Technology project. The project aims to develop a scalable, integrated methane emissions reduction system for flares based on optical gas imaging and estimation algorithms.

Encino Environmental Services

Total funding: $15.17 million (approximately $11 million in federal, $4.17 million in non-federal)

The award was granted for two projects. The Advanced Methane Reduction System: Integrating Infrared and Visual Imaging to Assess Net Heating Value at the Combustion Zone and Determine Combustion Efficiency to Enhance Flaring Performance project aims to develop and deploy an advanced continuous emissions monitoring system. It’s Advancing Methane Emissions Reduction through Innovative Technology project will develop and deploy a technology using sensors and composite materials to address emissions originating in storage tanks.

Envana Software Solutions

Total funding: $5.26 million (approximately $4.2 million in federal, $1 million in non-federal)

The award was granted for the company’s Leak Detection and Reduction Software to Identify Methane Emissions and Trigger Mitigation at Oil and Gas Production Facilities Based on SCADA Data project. It aims to improve its Recon software for monitoring methane emissions and develop partnerships with local universities and organizations.

Capwell Services Inc.

Total funding: $4.19 million (approximately $3.3 million in federal, $837,000 in non-federal)

The award was granted for its Methane Emissions Abatement Technology for Low-Flow and Intermittent Emission Sources project. It aims to to deploy and field-test a methane abatement unit and improve air quality and health outcomes for communities near production facilities and establish field technician internships for local residents.

Blue Sky Measurements 

Total funding: $3.41 million (approximately $2.7 million in federal, $683,000 in non-federal)

The award was granted for its Field Validation of Novel Fixed Position Optical Sensor for Fugitive Methane Emission Detection Quantification and Location with Real-Time Notification for Rapid Mitigation project. It aims to field test an optical sensing technology at six well sites in the Permian Basin.

Southern Methodist University, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and Hyliion Inc. were other Texas-based organizations to earn awards. See the full list of projects here.

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Georgina Campbell Flatter worked closely with Greentown Labs when it was founded in 2011 and now will lead the incubator as CEO. Photo courtesy Greentown Labs

Fresh funds, new CEO, and more trending energy transition news for February

Trending News

Editor's note: It's time to look back on the top trending energy transition news for the first half of February. The five most-read EnergyCapital stories from February 1-13 feature big funds for Fervo and Envana, a new face at Greentown Labs, top events to attend this month, and more.

1. Houston joint venture secures $5.2M for AI-powered methane tracking tech

Envana Software Solutions' tech allows an oil and gas company to see a full inventory of greenhouse gases. Photo via Getty Images

Houston-based Envana Software Solutions has received more than $5.2 million in federal and non-federal funding to support the development of technology for the oil and gas sector to monitor and reduce methane emissions. Thanks to the work backed by the new funding, Envana says its suite of emissions management software will become the industry's first technology to allow an oil and gas company to obtain a full inventory of greenhouse gases. Continue reading.

2. Geothermal energy startup's $600M deal fuels surge in Houston VC funding

PitchBook attributes $634 million in fourth-quarter VC to Fervo. Photo via Getty Images

The venture capital haul for Houston-area startups jumped 23 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to the latest PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor. Among the Houston-area startups contributing to the impressive VC total in the fourth quarter of 2024 was geothermal energy startup Fervo Energy. PitchBook attributes $634 million in fourth-quarter VC to Fervo. Continue reading.

3. Top 6 Houston energy events to attend in February 2025

Here are five events Houston's energy community should attend in February. Photos by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University

February is here, and the month is buzzing with forums, conferences, and the largest AI in Energy event. Here are six Houston energy events that you won't want to miss this month. Mark your calendars now. Continue reading.

4. Greentown Labs names new CEO to lead climate tech incubator

Georgina Campbell Flatter worked closely with Greentown Labs when it was founded in 2011 and now will lead the incubator as CEO. Photo courtesy Greentown Labs

Houston and Boston climate tech incubator Greentown Labs has named Georgina Campbell Flatter as the organization’s incoming CEO. Flatter will transition to Greentown from her role as co-founder and executive director of TomorrowNow.org, a global nonprofit that studies and connects next-generation weather and climate technologies with communities most affected by climate change. Continue reading.

5. Houston energy leaders form new coalition to improve Texas power grid

A new coalition of energy leaders wants to “take the Texas grid from good to great." Photo via Getty Images

A Houston-based coalition that launched this month aims to educate Texas officials about technology designed to shore up the state’s power grid. The public-private Texas Reliability Coalition says it will promote utility-scale microgrid technology geared toward strengthening the resilience and reliability of the Texas power grid, particularly during extreme weather. Continue reading.

Envana Software Solutions' tech allows an oil and gas company to see a full inventory of greenhouse gases. Photo via Getty Images

Houston joint venture secures $5.2M for AI-powered methane tracking tech

fresh funds

Houston-based Envana Software Solutions has received more than $5.2 million in federal and non-federal funding to support the development of technology for the oil and gas sector to monitor and reduce methane emissions.

Thanks to the work backed by the new funding, Envana says its suite of emissions management software will become the industry's first technology to allow an oil and gas company to obtain a full inventory of greenhouse gases.

The funding comes from a more than $4.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and more than $1 million in non-federal funding.

“Methane is many times more potent than carbon dioxide and is responsible for approximately one-third of the warming from greenhouse gases occurring today,” Brad Crabtree, assistant secretary at DOE, said in 2024.

With the funding, Envana will expand artificial intelligence (AI) and physics-based models to help detect and track methane emissions at oil and gas facilities.

“We’re excited to strengthen our position as a leader in emissions and carbon management by integrating critical scientific and operational capabilities. These advancements will empower operators to achieve their methane mitigation targets, fulfill their sustainability objectives, and uphold their ESG commitments with greater efficiency and impact,” says Nagaraj Srinivasan, co-lead director of Envana.

In conjunction with this newly funded project, Envana will team up with universities and industry associations in Texas to:

  • Advance work on the mitigation of methane emissions
  • Set up internship programs
  • Boost workforce development
  • Promote environmental causes

Envana, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) startup, provides emissions management technology to forecast, track, measure and report industrial data for greenhouse gas emissions.

Founded in 2023, Envana is a joint venture between Houston-based Halliburton, a provider of products and services for the energy industry, and New York City-based Siguler Guff, a private equity firm. Siguler Gulf maintains an office in Houston.

“Envana provides breakthrough SaaS emissions management solutions and is the latest example of how innovation adds to sustainability in the oil and gas industry,” Rami Yassine, a senior vice president at Halliburton, said when the joint venture was announced.

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Baker Hughes closes $13B acquisition of gas equipment maker Chart Industries

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Houston-based energy technology company Baker Hughes has completed its $13.6 billion acquisition of Chart Industries, a provider of equipment and services for liquefying gases like LNG, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen.

Baker Hughes says the deal advances its “strategic vision” to be a leader in energy and industrial technology.

Jim Apostolides, who had previously served as chief infrastructure and performance officer at Baker Hughes, leads the Chart business in his new role as senior vice president. Chart President and CEO Jill Evanko left the company in January to become CEO of Duravant, which makes equipment for food processing, packaging and materials handling.

Publicly traded Chart reported $4.3 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2025. Its customers operate in sectors such as gas infrastructure, nuclear, data centers, carbon capture and storage, space, and geothermal energy.

“Chart’s thermal management solutions bring complementary capabilities and aftermarket service offerings that accelerate our portfolio strategy,” Lorenzo Simonelli, chairman and CEO of Baker Hughes, said in a news release. “Together, we will expand the solutions we deliver across a broader range of energy and industrial markets and create greater value for customers and shareholders.”

Chart will operate as a new financial reporting segment within Baker Hughes, reflecting what Baker Hughes says is the “scale and strategic importance of its differentiated capabilities in air and gas handling, thermal management, and lifecycle services.”

Baker Hughes announced the Chart deal last July.

“We know Chart well, having worked alongside them on many critical energy infrastructure projects,” Signorelli said last year. “Their products and services are highly complementary to our offerings and strongly aligned with our intent to deliver distinctive and efficient end-to-end lifecycle solutions for our customers across their most critical applications.”

Chart’s website lists offices in Houston, The Woodlands, and Austin, with corporate headquarters in Ball Ground, Georgia. It’s unclear what will happen to those offices.

KBR appoints C-suite duo to lead forthcoming spinoff

Making Moves

In advance of the spinoff of its Mission Technology Solutions unit, Houston-based KBR has made two C-suite hires for the new business.

Michael LaRouche is coming aboard as president and CEO of the spinoff, currently called SpinCo, on Sept. 26. Nicholas Veasey joined as executive vice president and chief financial officer earlier this month, on July 1.

“Michael and Nick bring a highly complementary combination of operational leadership, financial expertise, and mission-driven experience, and together they will accelerate our impact for stakeholders,” Stuart Bradie, chairman, president and CEO of publicly traded KBR, said in a news release.

LaRouche currently is CEO of Serco North America, a Herndon, Virginia-based government services contractor. Veasey most recently was CFO of MAG Aerospace, a Fairfax, Virginia-based defense contractor.

SpinCo, a government services contractor, will launch with more than $5.3 billion in annual revenue and 20,000 employees. KBR’s total headcount is around 36,000. Branding for SpinCo, including a formal name, will be revealed in July.

“SpinCo is positioned as a top-tier provider of differentiated technology solutions, anchored by deep mission expertise, global scale, and a relentless commitment to delivering for our customers,” LaRouche says.

After the spinoff, the slimmed-down KBR will focus on its Sustainable Technology Solutions business, a provider of energy and industrial technology that generated $2.5 billion in revenue in 2025 and is designed to reduce carbon emissions and support energy transition efforts. Bradie will remain chairman, president and CEO of the business.

Both SpinCo and the new KBR will be public companies. The spinoff is scheduled to be completed in January 2027.

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This article first appeared on InnovationMap.com.

Houston PE firm makes latest nuclear industry acquisition

nuclear deal

Houston-based private equity firm Pelican Energy Partners has acquired California-based Veridiam for an undisclosed amount in an effort to further increase the firm’s focus on the nuclear energy sector.

Veridiam is a strategic manufacturer that specializes in the precision fabrication of components and assemblies made from exotic metals or advanced alloys for the nuclear, aerospace, defense, space and medical fields.

Following the acquisition, Veridiam will continue to operate under its existing name and will led by its current management team, including CEO Brian Joyal.

“Joining the Pelican platform accelerates our strategic trajectory," Joyal said in a news release. "With Pelican's support, we will accelerate the modernization and expansion of our manufacturing capabilities to meet unprecedented demand across the nuclear, aerospace, defense, and medical sectors. This partnership also enables us to expand our portfolio of mission-critical products and engineered solutions while maintaining the uncompromising quality, precision, and reliability standards that have defined Veridiam for more than 60 years."

Since 2011, Pelican has raised over $1 billion in committed capital and has realized over 15 investments. Currently, Pelican is investing from its fourth fund, which aims to support and advance companies that provide critical services and products to the nuclear power industry.

In 2024, Pelican raised a $450 million fund to invest in nuclear energy services and equipment companies.

The Veridiam deal comes after Pelican has completed several nuclear acquisitions. The PE firm acquired New Hampshire-based Environmental Alternatives Inc., which provides nuclear decontamination services, in April; it acquired Georgia-based WSI Welding Solution in December, which services the nuclear sector.

"Veridiam sits at the center of our investment thesis and reflects the kind of deal Pelican does best," Mike Scott, managing partner and founder of Pelican Energy Partners, added in the news release. "With the right capital and operating support, we see a clear opportunity to strengthen the business, invest in its capabilities, and create long-term value for customers and shareholders."

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