This Houston organization is on a mission to shrink the city's carbon footprint — one EV at a time

driving energy transition

Evolve Houston, founded in 2018 through Houston’s Climate Action Plan and relaunched last year, has launched a new tool for EV incentivization. Photo via Evolve

Equity and environmental impact characteristics often used to describe a company’s outlook on increased sustainability and fighting climate change.

Evolve Houston, which was founded in 2018 through Houston’s Climate Action Plan and relaunched last year, is one of the organizations leading the way, and now with their Grant Tracker program, they are giving back to those who are giving back to the planet.

“Raising awareness is a critical part of accelerating a new technology, this includes awareness of incentives that individuals and fleets in the Greater Houston region may be eligible for,” Casey Brown, executive director and president, tells EnergyCapital. “Beyond understanding incentives, most Houstonians have not experienced an EV for themselves. With the support of our Founding Members (Shell, NRG Energy, CenterPoint Energy, University of Houston, and the City of Houston), we offer educational and experiential ways for Houstonians to interact with EVs and learn more about the benefits.”

The Grant Tracker aims to make it easier to find funding opportunities, and assist with current grants available to organizations and individuals that are committed to a goal of zero emissions. The tracker serves as a tool to assist with purchasing an EV and charging equipment. Ultimately, Evolve wants to assist and fund those looking to make the transition to electric.

Anup Parikh and his company Pangea Charging, through EVOLVE, was granted a project to help bring charging capacity for EVs to help build the infrastructure in areas and apartment complexes that traditionally would not have them.

“People see electric vehicles as high-end and a luxury lifestyle, when in fact it can happen for everybody,” Parikh said in a promotional video.

In addition to the Grant Tracker program, Evolve’s Mobility Microgrant Initiative will partner with local nonprofits,community reviewers, and corporate catalysts to award funding to eMobility projects aimed at serving mobility needs in Houston's underserved neighborhoods. In July, Evolve teamed up with RYDE and District D Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz to bring the free on-demand electric local shuttle service to residents in the Third Ward area, which was one of the many microgrants associated with the project. RYDE’s service in the area has been extended recently into the fall and “until further notice” according to a newsletter from EVOLVE.

“Private investments in this sector follow EV adoption,“ Brown says. “Investing in areas early creates more opportunity for EV technology interaction and benefits.

"We are excited about the success of our Equity Program and the exciting projects it has funded across Houston," he continues. "Today, we accomplish this through our eMobility Microgrant Initiative, a community-led investment program focused on historically disadvantaged communities, and aimed to tackle community needs with electric vehicle technologies. We have had a very successful Round 1 of investments this year and we are excited to announce round two grant winners in January of 2024.”

As Evolve continues to evolve its sphere of influence, the company still aims for its goal to have half of the vehicles in the city be electric by 2030. The company says that EVs should be for all Houstonians, not just for some.

“Houston maintains some of the lowest population density and longest commute distances of major U.S. cities, and we have an immense amount of business and goods that flow through Houston,” Brown said. “We see a landscape that can uniquely achieve larger financial and environmental benefits of EV technologies. One way that we share these benefits is being the Presenting Sponsor of the Houston Auto Show. We also summarize the local EV sector through our R.I.S.E. report and maintain an actionable, forward view in our EV Roadmap; both sources can be found on our website and are undergoing a refresh as we close 2023.”

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1PointFive signs latest deal, shares update on $1.3B carbon removal project

DAC deal

Houston-based 1PointFive, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corp., has secured another buyer of carbon dioxide removal credits for its $1.3 billion STRATOS project as it moves toward operation.

Bain & Company, a Boston-based consulting firm, has agreed to purchase 9,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits from the direct air capture (DAC) facility over three years, according to a news release. DAC technology pulls CO2 from the air at any location, not just where carbon dioxide is emitted.

The deal is Bain's first purchase of DAC removal credits. The company has developed a program that helps clients purchase carbon credits from a range of carbon-removal technologies.

"We are proud to partner with 1PointFive and add them to our portfolio of engineered carbon removal technologies," Sam Israelit, Bain’s chief sustainability officer, said in the news release. "Their track record for developing DAC technology, coupled with their deep understanding of what it takes to deliver large-scale infrastructure projects, uniquely positions them to be a leader in this emerging segment.”

“We believe this agreement demonstrates continued momentum for the solution while supporting the development of vital domestic infrastructure,” Anthony Cottone, president and general manager of 1PointFive, added in the release.

Bain joins others like Microsoft, Amazon, AT&T, Airbus, the Houston Astros and the Houston Texans that have agreed to buy CDR credits from STRATOS.

The Texas-based STRATOS project is being developed through a joint venture with investment manager BlackRock and is designed to capture up to 500,000 metric tons of CO2 per year. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency approved Class VI permits for the project last year.

1PointFive says STRATOS is "progressing through start-up activities." The company shared in a LinkedIn post that Phase 1 of the project is expected to go online in Q2, with Phase 2 ramping up through the remainder of 2026.

Houston researcher develops efficient method to cool AI data centers

cool findings

A University of Houston professor has developed a new cooling method that can remove heat at least three times more effectively from AI data centers than current technologies.

Hadi Ghasemi, a distinguished professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at UH, published his findings in two articles in the International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. The findings solve a critical issue in the growing AI sector, according to UH.

High-powered AI data centers generate huge amounts of heat due to the GPU and operating systems they use with extreme power densities, which introduce complex thermal challenges. Traditionally, cooling methods, like microchannels, which use flow and spray cooling, have had limitations when exposed to extreme heat flux, according to UH.

Ghasemi’s research, however, found a more effective way to design thin-film evaporation structures to release heat from data centers and electronics at record performance.

Ghasem’s solution coupled topology optimization and AI modeling to determine the best shapes for thin film efficiency, ultimately landing on a branch-like structure—resembling a tree.

The model found that the “branches” needed to be about 50 percent solid and 50 percent empty space for optimum efficiency, and that they could sustain high heat fluxes with minimal thermal resistance.

“These structures could achieve high critical heat flux at much lower superheat compared to traditionally studied structures,” Ghasemi said in a news release. “The new structures can remove heat without having to get as hot as previous removal systems.

Ghasemi’s doctoral candidates, Amirmohammad Jahanbakhsh and Saber Badkoobeh Hezave, also worked on the project. The team believes their results show the impact of a physics-aware, AI design and can help ensure reliability, longevity and stability of AI data centers.

“Beyond achieving record performance, these new findings provide fundamental insight into the governing heat-transfer physics and establishes a rational pathway toward even higher thermal dissipation capacities,” Ghasemi added in the release

Texas federal judge allows lawsuit against California AG over ExxonMobil remarks

In the News

A federal judge in Texas ruled that ExxonMobil can bring a defamation lawsuit against California’s attorney general over comments about the company’s plastic recycling efforts.

U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale in the Eastern District of Texas said in a ruling in February that California Attorney General Rob Bonta cannot claim official immunity in regards to several statements he made, including one in a campaign email sent to Texas residents.

Bonta sued Exxon in September 2024, saying that the oil giant encouraged consumers to purchase plastics products with the promise that the products would be recycled. He said less than 5% of plastic is recycled into another plastic product, and that recycling processes touted by Exxon don't work. Exxon said the problem is with California's recycling system.

Exxon later sued Bonta in his individual capacity and environmental groups for defamation, saying that the comments harmed current and future business contracts. The lawsuit was filed in Texas, near its principal place of business.

Truncale dismissed the lawsuit against the environmental groups but allowed it to proceed against Bonta.

The judge pointed to a campaign email Bonta sent to Texas residents saying that only 5% is recycled and the rest ends up in the environment and in our bodies: “Exxon Mobil knew, and Exxon Mobil lied.” Bonta, a Democrat, argued he was simply updating email recipients on his office's activities.

But Truncale said a campaign contribution link on the email turned the communication into a campaign activity not protected by immunity in Bonta's official capacity as attorney general.

“Here, the contribution request betrays the email's true nature: a campaign promotion. Campaigning is not within Bonta's scope of employment,” the judge wrote.

Bonta has filed a notice of appeal.

“The Attorney General looks forward to vigorously litigating this case, and is proud to advance his lawsuit against ExxonMobil,” his press office said.

ExxonMobil said in a statement that the “campaign of lies designed to derail our advanced recycling business must stop.”

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