ADVERTISEABOUT USSUBMIT A STORYSUBSCRIBETERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY
Visit our family of Brands

City of Houston’s EV fleet and charging capabilities are set to expand

new wheels

Houston now has 333 hybrid electric vehicles and 88 battery electric vehicles. Photo via houstontx.gov

The City of Houston is getting closer to its goal of all non-emergency, light-duty municipal vehicles to be electric by 2030.

According to late-June status report from the city, Houston now has 333 hybrid electric vehicles and 88 battery electric vehicles. An additional 67 battery electric pickups, 20 hybrid electric pickups, and 21 hybrid electric SUVs deliveries are expected to be up and running before the end of the calendar year, and expects to receive 27 battery-electric SUVs and 13 battery-electric pickups in the next 12 months.

"With almost half of carbon emissions in Houston coming from the transportation sector and a majority of those emissions coming from single occupancy vehicles, electrification is an important part of our climate action plan," Mayor Sylvester Turner said in the statement. "I am pleased to see the ongoing progress and am confident we will meet our goals."

According to Evolve Houston — a public-private partnership founded with CenterPoint, NRG, Shell, and the University of Houston to promote EV sales — about 9 percent of new cars in Houston were registered as EVs last year. This means that Houston's EV adoption rate was 2.5 percent over the US average, according to the statement.

As part of the Houston Climate Action Plan, the city is also working with Evolve Houston to build upon the Bayou City's EV charging infrastructure as well.

Houston currently has 57 installed chargers, two of which are DC fast chargers, according to the status report. The city recently signed a contract to purchase 144 level 2 battery chargers from Siemens and another 15 chargers are slated to be installed at the Houston Health Department's Stadium Drive location in the coming weeks.

Due to supply chain issues, the City's Fleet Management Department is also considering rolling out a mobile charging option and home-charging vehicles for emergency response employees to help reduce costs while still moving toward the city's goals.

Evolve Houston, founded in 2019 through Houston's Climate Action Plan, relaunched about a year ago with a new Equity Program to address poor air quality and limited access to public transportation in vulnerable communities.

It's one of many efforts related to Houston's goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 and leading the global energy transition. In March the city partnered with The Hertz Corp. to triple Houston's EV rental fleet, as well add to the city's charging infrastructure and EV education and training opportunities. In recent years the city has launched a solar co-op, opened new labs and is slated to introduce a new fleet of 20 battery-powered electric buses in the near future.
From Your Site Articles
Ad Placement 300x100
Ad Placement 300x600

CultureMap Emails are Awesome

Property Showcase

OTC names 4 Houston professionals as 2025 emerging leaders

young pros

Four Houston professionals have been named to the Offshore Technology Conference's 2025 Emerging Leaders class.

The group of 10 represents individuals with less than 10 years of experience who have "demonstrated exceptional talent, commitment, and promise as future leaders in the offshore energy sector," according to a release from OTC. They were recognized at the annual conference, which was held May 5-8 at NRG Center.

Each year, Emerging Leaders are selected by the previous year’s group and are members of an OTC sponsoring, endorsing or supporting organization. While a number hail from the Houston area, this year's group is comprised of energy professionals from all over the world.

“This year’s leaders have a clear passion for the industry, are eager to play a role in its future, and serve as inspiration to others through their exemplary commitment to excellence and pursuit of new horizons.” Alex Martinez, chair of the OTC Board, said in a news release.

The 2025 Houston-area Emerging Leaders include:

  • Ellen Reat Wersan, an exploration geoscientist at Chevron
  • Brooke Polk, vice president-accreditation operations at the International Association of Drilling Contractors
  • Zheng Fan, assistant professor in the mechanical engineering technology department at the University of Houston
  • Scott Pisarik, lead materials and corrosion engineer at Chevron

Other recipients included:

  • Yingda Lu, assistant professor in the petroleum and geosystems engineering department at The University of Texas at Austin
  • Olusola Komolafe, project engineer at Geosyntec Consultants Inc.
  • Gabriel Correa Perocco, project manager at MODEC do Brasil
  • Sridhar Krishnamoorthy, senior research fellow and PhD research scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras Chennai India
  • Daniel Toerner, technical sales engineer at Bardex Corp.
  • Olawale Ajayi, reservoir engineer at NNPC Limited

OTC concluded last week and brought together energy professionals, policymakers and scholars from more than 100 countries while showcasing more than 1,000 companies. Sessions featured prominent energy execs, including Oxy president and CEO Vicki Hollub from Houston and Brazil-based Petrobras' president Magda Chambriard. According to OTC, the event has generated $1.6 billion in income for Houston’s economy since 2010.

"From the latest technology to generation-changing policy discussions, this year’s success reflects the industry’s commitment to shaping the future of energy, advancing innovations and fostering global collaboration," Martinez added in a statement.

OTC 2026 will take place May 4-7, 2026, at NRG Center in Houston.

Large-scale battery storage project slated for Houston and more energy news to know

Hot Topics

Editor's note: The top energy transition news for the first half of May 2025 includes two global energy projects with Houston ties. Plus, we look at Houston's new Climate Justice Plan. Get the details on EnergyCapitalHTX's most-read stories below.

1. China-based company to launch its largest U.S. energy storage project in Houston

China-based Trina Storage is starting its U.S. expansion in Houston. Photo via trinasolar.com

Trina Storage and FlexGen, a North Carolina-based company that develops integrated energy storage systems, are bringing a 371-megawatt battery energy storage system to Houston. The project will be the largest grid-scale deployment project in North America by Trina Storage, which is a business unit of China-based Trina Solar.

"This project is a testament to Trina Storage's ability to provide a fully bankable, integrated energy storage solution that meets the evolving needs of the market," Terry Chen, vice president of Trina Storage North America, said.

"As our first grid-scale deployment in North America, this achievement reflects the industry's confidence in our technology and our commitment to de-risking energy storage investments and supporting the energy transition in the region." Continue reading.

2. Houston climatech company signs on to massive carbon capture project in Malaysia

HYCO1 has signed an agreement to convert 1 million tons per year of raw CO2 into industrial-grade syngas at a new carbon capture project in Malaysia. Photo via Getty Images.

Houston-based CO2 utilization company HYCO1 has signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia LNG Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Petronas, for a carbon capture project in Malaysia, which includes potential utilization and conversion of 1 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.

The project will be located in Bintulu in Sarawak, Malaysia, where Malaysia LNG is based, according to a news release. Malaysia LNG will supply HYCO1 with an initial 1 million tons per year of raw CO2 for 20 years starting no later than 2030. The CCU plant is expected to be completed by 2029.

"This is very exciting for all stakeholders, including HYCO1, MLNG, and Petronas, and will benefit all Malaysians," HYCO1 CEO Gregory Carr said. "We approached Petronas and MLNG in the hopes of helping them solve their decarbonization needs, and we feel honored to collaborate with MLNG to meet their Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050.” Continue reading.

3. Oxy opens energy-focused innovation center in Midtown Houston

The Oxy Innovation Center is now open at the Ion in Houston, and a new coworking space launches this week. Photo courtesy of the Ion

Houston-based Occidental officially opened its new Oxy Innovation Center with a ribbon cutting at the Ion last month.

The opening reflects Oxy and the Ion's "shared commitment to advancing technology and accelerating a lower-carbon future," according to an announcement from the Ion.

Oxy, which was named a corporate partner of the Ion in 2023, now has nearly 6,500 square feet on the fourth floor of the Ion. Continue reading.

4. Harris County looks to future with new Climate Justice Plan

Harris County commissioners approved a plan that seeks to address issues of ecology, infrastructure, economy, community and culture. Photo via Getty Images.

Harris County commissioners approved a five-point Climate Justice Plan last month with a 3-1 vote by Harris County commissioners. The plan was created by the Office of County Administration’s Office of Sustainability and the nonprofit Coalition for Environment, Equity and Resilience.

“Climate action planning that centers on justice has the potential to spark innovative thinking and transformative actions that will lead to meaningful and just transitions in communities, policies, funding mechanisms, and implementation strategies,” the 59-page report reads.

The plan seeks to address issues relating to ecology, infrastructure, economy, community and culture. Continue reading.

5. Houston company completes orphan well decommission project in the Gulf

Promethean Energy had completed a significant decommissioning project in the Matagorda Island area. Photo via Getty Images.

Houston-based Promethean Energy announced this month that it has successfully decommissioned offshore orphaned wells in the Matagorda Island lease area.

Around this time last year, the company shared that it would work on the temporary abandonment of nine orphan wells on behalf of the Department of Interior's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, or BSEE, in the area. Promethean is known for decommissioning mature assets in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable manner.

“Our team is incredibly proud to have completed this critical work efficiently, safely, and ahead of budget,” Steve Louis, SVP of decommissioning at Promethean Energy, said. “By integrating our expertise, technologies and strategic partnerships, we have demonstrated that decommissioning can be both cost-effective and environmentally responsible.” Continue reading.

Engie signs deal to supply wind power for Texas data center

wind deal

Houston-based Engie North America, which specializes in generating low-carbon power, has sealed a preliminary deal to supply wind power to a Cipher Mining data center in Texas.

Under the tentative agreement, Cipher could buy as much as 300 megawatts of clean energy from one of Engie’s wind projects. The financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Cipher Mining develops and operates large data centers for cryptocurrency mining and high-performance computing.

In November, New York City-based Cipher said it bought a 250-acre site in West Texas for a data center with up to 100 megawatts of capacity. Cipher paid $4.1 million for the property.

“By pairing the data center with renewable energy, this strategic collaboration supports the use of surplus energy during periods of excess generation, while enhancing grid stability and reliability,” Engie said in a news release about the Cipher agreement.

The Engie-Cipher deal comes amid the need for more power in Texas due to several factors. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported in October that data centers and cryptocurrency mining are driving up demand for power in the Lone Star State. Population growth is also putting pressure on the state’s energy supply.

Last year, Engie added 4.2 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity worldwide, bringing the total capacity to 46 gigawatts as of December 31. Also last year, Engie signed a new contract with Meta (Facebook's owner) and expanded its partnership with Google in the U.S. and Belgium.
View All Listings