bp bets big on EV infrastructure, opens new Houston charging center

plugging in

The new bp pulse station is the first bp pulse branded Gigahub in the US and will be open to the public. Photo via bp.com

Energy giant bp is opening a large electric-vehicle charging site at its American headquarters in Houston.

The new bp pulse station is the first bp pulse branded Gigahub in the US and will be open to the public. The Gigahub, will offer 24 high-speed EV charge points with Tritium 150kW DC fast chargers. The chargers will be integrated with the bp pulse app, which assists users to locate the site, access real-time charging availability, and WiFi capabilities.

"As we expand our global footprint, I am thrilled to unveil our first EV charging Gigahub in the US,” Emma Delaney, bp executive vice president for customers and products, says in a news release. “With leading fast charging positions already in key markets in the UK, China, and Germany, we're learning about customer charging preferences on the go.”

The plan for bp pulse includes continued deployment of additional charging points at high-demand spots like major metropolitan areas, bp-owned properties, and airports. The company has also been awarded grant funds through programs including National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure and California Energy Commission, which will help to provide charging infrastructure at sites in Virginia,California, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Last year, bp announced plans to invest $1 billion in EV charging infrastructure by 2030, with $500 million invested in by the end of 2025.

"We're excited to bring bp pulse to America's energy corridor and expand our presence in the US public EV-charging market," CEO of bp pulse Americas Sujay Sharma said in a news release "This project will bring fast, reliable charging to EV drivers when and where they need it, helping support faster electric-vehicle adoption in the US. We look forward to welcoming new and existing EV drivers to our growing network."

The PhD and doctoral students will each receive a one-year $12,000 fellowship, along with mentoring from experts at UH and Chevron. Photo via UH.edu

University of Houston names first group of Chevron-backed fellows

meet the chosen ones

The University of Houston has named eight graduate students to its first-ever cohort of UH-Chevron Energy Graduate Fellows.

The PhD and doctoral students will each receive a one-year $12,000 fellowship, along with mentoring from experts at UH and Chevron. Their work focuses on energy-related research in fields ranging from public policy to geophysics and math. The fellowship is funded by Chevron.

“The UH-Chevron Energy Fellowship program is an exciting opportunity for our graduate students to research the many critical areas that impact the energy industry, our communities and our global competitiveness,” Ramanan Krishnamoortil UH's Vice President for Energy and Innovation says in a statement.

“Today’s students not only recognize the importance of energy, but they are actively driving the push for affordable, reliable, sustainable and secure energy and making choices that clearly indicate that they are meaningfully contributing to the change,” he continues.

“We love that Chevron is sponsoring this group of fellows because it’s a fantastic way for us to get involved with the students who are working on some of the biggest problems we’ll face in society,” Chevron Technology Ventures President Jim Gable adds.

The 2023 UH-Chevron Energy Graduate Fellows are:

Kripa Adhikari, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Cullen College of Engineering. Her work focuses on thermal regulation in enhanced geothermal systems. She currently works under the mentorship of Professor Kalyana Babu Nakshatrala and previously worked as a civil engineer with the Nepal Reconstruction Authority.

Aparajita Datta, a researcher at UH Energy and a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science. Her work focuses on the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a redistributive welfare policy designed to help households pay their energy bills. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies in India, and master’s degrees in energy management and public policy from UH. She also recently worked on a paper for UH about transportation emissions.

Chirag Goel, a Ph.D. student in materials science and engineering at UH. His work focuses on using High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) to optimize manufacturing processes, which he says can help achieve carbon-free economies by 2050. The work has uses in renewable energy generation, electric power transmission and advanced scientific applications.

Meghana Idamakanti, a third-year Ph.D. student in the William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Her work focuses on using electrically heated steam methane for cleaner hydrogen production. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in India in 2020 and previously worked as a process engineering intern at Glochem Industries in India.

Erin Picton, an environmental engineering Ph.D. student in the Shaffer Lab at UH. Her work focuses on ways to increase the sustainability of lithium processing and reducing wasted water and energy. “I love the idea of taking waste and turning it into value,” she said in a statement. She has previously worked in collaboration with MIT and Greentown Labs, as chief sustainability officer of a Houston-based desalination startup; and as a visiting graduate researcher at Argonne National Lab and at INSA in Lyon, France.

Mohamad Sarhan, a Ph.D. student and a teaching assistant in the Department of Petroleum Engineering. His work focuses on seasonal hydrogen storage and the stability of storage candidates during hydrogen cycling. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in petroleum engineering from Cairo University

Swapnil Sharma, a Ph.D. student in the William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. His work has been funded by the Department of Energy and focuses on thermal modeling of large-scale liquid hydrogen storage tanks. He works with Professor Vemuri Balakotaiah. He holds bachelor's and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). He also developed one of the world’s highest fiber-count optical fiber cables while working in India and founded CovRelief, which helped millions of Indians find resources about hospital beds, oxygen suppliers and more during the pandemic.

Larkin Spires, who's working on her doctoral research in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Her work focuses on a semi-empirical Brown and Korringa model for fluid substitution and the ties between geophysics and mathematics. She works under Professor John Castagna and holds a bachelor’s degree in math from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in geophysics from UH.

Earlier this month Evolve Houston also announced its first-ever cohort of 13 microgrant recipients, whose work aims to make EVs and charging infrastructure more accessible in some of the city's more underserved neighborhoods.

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8+ must-attend Houston energy transition events in October 2026

Must-Attend Meetings

Editor's note: October is here, and there are many energy events to plug into in Houston this month. From summits and forums to exhibitions and networking opportunities, these are the top events to put on your calendar. Learn more below, and register now.

Oct. 6-7: Hydrogen Americas Summit and Exhibition

Hydrogen Americas delivers an unparalleled opportunity to explore how hydrogen integrates with CCUS and other energy solutions under the new U.S. and Americas energy paradigm. This event moves to Houston in 2026, providing unmatched access to industry leaders and opportunities. The summit will include CCUS dedicated sessions integrated directly into the conference programming, providing deeper insights into carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Look forward to networking opportunities to connect with global suppliers, regional developers, and key policymakers.

This event begins Oct. 6 at George R. Brown Convention Center. Register here.

Oct. 6-7: Annual Energy Summit — Energy, Risk, and Geopolitics

The 10th annual energy summit is co-hosted by Baker Botts and the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University's Baker Institute. This year's summit, “Energy, Risk, and Geopolitics,” will explore how a changing geopolitical landscape and shifts in supply chain risks are impacting investment, innovation, and market dynamics. The two-day program will include discussions spanning petroleum and LNG markets, critical minerals, electricity reliability, AI, and power demand.

This event begins Oct. 6 at 7:30 am at James A Baker III Hall. The event will also be livestreamed. Register here.

Oct. 7: Industrial Data Forward Forum 2026

Houston continues to sit at the intersection of energy, chemical production, and advanced manufacturing. Industrial data experts, automation engineers, and enterprise architects will gather for this one-day forum to address one of the region's biggest operational challenges: modernizing massive, legacy industrial plants without incurring high costs.

This event takes place Oct. 7 at Norris Conference Center. Register here.

Oct. 14: Houston Engineering, Energy & Transportation Networking Event

Connect with leading engineers, energy experts, environmental innovators, and transportation professionals during an evening of collaboration, insight, and opportunity. This exclusive event is designed for engineers, project developers, renewable energy specialists, urban planners, environmental consultants, and infrastructure leaders eager to expand their networks, exchange ideas, and explore solutions driving the future of sustainable development.

This event takes place on Oct. 14 at 7 pm at SOHO Garden. Get tickets here.

Oct. 14: Future of Global Energy Conference

This October, the sixth annual Future of Global Energy Conference kicks off, convening influential leaders from across energy, technology, finance and public policy who will come together to explore the forces defining the next era of global energy and Houston’s role in shaping it. Ryan Lance, Executive Chairman of ConocoPhillips and 2027 Chair of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Board of Directors, is the keynote speaker, bringing a global perspective on rising demand, market volatility and Houston’s role in the next era of energy growth.

This event takes place Oct. 14 at Marriott Marquis. Register here.

Oct. 17: Energy Day 2026

Energy Day Houston is the nation’s largest free, family-friendly STEM festival. It features over 50 interactive exhibits and live demonstrations focused on traditional and emerging energy career paths to power up your curiosity.

This event begins at 11 am on Oct. 17 at Sam Houston Park. Get details here.

Oct. 22: Geophysical Society of Houston Fall Forum

This one-day event will explore how geophysics continues to drive value in hydrocarbon development while opening new opportunities in geothermal, critical minerals, mining, microseismic monitoring, and other emerging subsurface applications. The forum will highlight both the technologies and business strategies needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.

This event begins at 7 am on Oct. 22 at SLB. Get details here.

Oct. 28-29: Energy Council Houston 2026

Energy Council Houston is a private executive forum for leaders across the U.S. upstream oil and gas sector. Over two days, operators, investors, financiers, and strategic partners will come together to discuss the issues shaping capital allocation, energy security, M&A activity, and energy investment across North America.

This event begins Oct. 28 at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston. Register here.

Houston geothermal company picks Nevada site for commercial-scale project

coming soon

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.

In the Nevada system, fluid will circulate through an engineered subsurface reservoir, absorb heat from the surrounding rock and return heat to the surface. The heat will be delivered to the Blue Mountain plant for conversion into electricity.

Project Vector builds on the performance of Sage’s SMECI facility in South Texas. That facility’s results, combined with Sage’s digital twin platform, will be used to shape to the design and development of Project Vector.

Project Vector supports Sage’s growing commercial pipeline, including a 150-megawatt geothermal power agreement with Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

“Blue Mountain is an ideal location for Sage to take the next step in continuing to commercialize our proprietary EGS approach,” Jason Peart, chief operating officer at Sage, said in a release. “By delivering geothermal heat into an existing power plant, Project Vector can demonstrate the model for bringing firm, 24/7 geothermal power to market at scale.”

Project Vector extends Sage’s relationship with Ormat.

In August 2025, Sage and Ormat agreed to accelerate commercialization of Sage’s geothermal technology at an Ormat power plant. This January, Ormat co-led Sage’s $97 million Series B funding round.

Sage, founded in 2020, has raised about $159 million across three funding rounds.

As the startup ramps up its ESG platform, Sage is targeting data centers as customers, among other large-scale users of electricity.

“The energy needs are huge, and they need it now,” CEO Cindy Taff said on Data Center Frontiers’ podcast. “They can’t depend on the grid anymore.”

Houston’s power advantage: Key takeaways from 2026 HETI Power Summit

The view from heti

Power has become a defining economic development issue as electricity demand rises across Texas.

Industrial expansion, advanced manufacturing, AI and data center growth are increasing the importance of reliable, affordable power delivered on the timelines major projects require.

The 2026 HETI Power Summit, titled Houston’s Power Advantage: Competing for Large-Load Growth, brought together leaders from utilities, power producers, large energy customers, technology and infrastructure providers, professional services firms and the public sector to examine how Houston can meet this moment.

Across keynotes, research report-outs, panel discussions and a fireside chat, a consistent theme emerged: Houston’s power advantage comes from the region’s ability to align utilities, customers, infrastructure, flexible demand, emerging solutions and regional partners around reliable, affordable and timely growth.

Reliability and Readiness

Public Utility Commission of Texas Commissioner Kathleen Jackson opened the summit by emphasizing reliability as the foundation for continued growth as Texas electricity demand rises.

Commissioner Jackson underscored the importance of sustained planning and investment to support new industrial, manufacturing and digital demand while maintaining a reliable power system. Remarks framed the morning’s broader discussion of how Houston can pair reliability with speed, affordability and long-term system readiness.

Scott Cockerham of FTI Consulting previewed HETI and FTI’s “Texas Power Market & Industry Assessment”. The research identifies accessibility, reliability, affordability, market flexibility and infrastructure readiness as key dimensions of regional competitiveness.

Leaders from FTI Consulting, Kroll, AWS and Constellation also discussed factors shaping major investment decisions, including reliability, infrastructure timelines, cost certainty, site readiness, community support and regional coordination.

For large customers, these factors must translate into credible project-level execution. Confidence in system performance, energization timelines and infrastructure plans can materially influence major capital commitments.

Building for the Houston We Want to Become

Jason Ryan of CenterPoint Energy challenged participants to plan now for the infrastructure needed to support Houston’s next phase of growth. Drawing on the idea that “what got you here won’t get you there,” Ryan urged the region to build infrastructure for “the Houston we want to become” and stay ahead of large-load demand.

A fireside discussion between CenterPoint Energy and Foxconn brought that challenge to the customer level. The conversation explored how early coordination between utilities and large customers can help advanced manufacturing projects move from site selection and planning to construction and operation.

Long-term growth will require continued investment in generation, transmission and distribution. In the near term, better use of existing infrastructure can create additional capacity.

HETI also shared findings from its Role of Efficiency & Demand Response to Meet Near-Term Regional Power Demand report. Energy efficiency can lower baseline electricity use, while demand response can shift or reduce demand during critical periods. Combined with supply-side investment, these tools can create grid headroom as longer-term infrastructure advances.

The summit’s closing panel, featuring leaders from Amperon, Enchanted Rock, EY and Quanta Services, expanded the discussion to emerging solutions. Panelists explored modular and flexible generation, advanced forecasting, grid intelligence and greater coordination among utilities, customers, infrastructure providers and communities.

Houston’s broader regional power landscape adds another dimension. Entergy Texas President and CEO Eli Viamontes described Southeast Texas as experiencing an “extraordinary trifecta of residential, industrial and data center growth.” His remarks highlighted how the MISO-facing portion of the region complements Houston’s ERCOT strengths through utility planning, generation and infrastructure investment, resource adequacy and coordination with major industrial customers.

Together, these approaches point to a broader strategy: invest for long-term demand while using flexibility, technology and regional coordination to create capacity for growth today.

From Power Advantage to Economic Advantage

Taken together, the Power Summit discussions point to a clear priority for Houston: translating power market and infrastructure strengths into coordinated execution.

Priority areas include earlier infrastructure planning, stronger site and project readiness, clearer pathways from projected demand to reliably served load, expanded efficiency and flexibility, and sustained coordination among utilities, customers, policymakers, communities, technology providers and economic development organizations.

HETI is advancing this work through research and convening efforts focused on Houston’s evolving power needs and economic competitiveness.

The 2026 Power Summit reinforced Houston’s strong foundation for power-intensive growth and the importance of aligning investment, reliability, flexibility and regional coordination around the next generation of economic opportunity.

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This article originally appeared on the Greater Houston Partnership's Houston Energy Transition Initiative blog. HETI exists to support Houston's future as an energy leader. Gain more insights from HETI’s Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Report.

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