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Houston organization grants funding to local arts center to make sustainable updates to facilities

solar-powered spotlight

Silambam Houston will use the funding to create the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club Sustainability Pavilion. Photo courtesy of Green Mountain

Green Mountain Energy Sun Club has supplied a grant of nearly $103,000 to a local Indian arts center to make sustainable improvements to its facilities.

Silambam Houston will use the grant to help with the installation of a rooftop solar array and a new pavilion at its Pearland dance studio, which will be called The Green Mountain Energy Sun Club Sustainability Pavilion. The venue will serve as an outdoor gathering space for events at the facility.

“At Green Mountain Energy, we recognize that our choices can have a profound impact on our environment,” Mark Parsons, Green Mountain Energy vice president, says in a news release. “We’re proud to support the rich and diverse culture of the Indian community, and we’re glad to help Silambam take the next step toward a more sustainable future.”

The 14.58 kW solar structure is expected to offset 100 percent of the building’s energy needs, which would save the organization more than $4,000 per year for the next 25 years. Sun Club has donated more than $14 million for 164 projects across Texas and the Northeast since it was founded in 2022.

Silambam is an Indian classical arts organization with an arts academy program that serves 180 students each week with more than 20 teaching artists on staff. The professional dance company has more than 20 dancers that regularly perform at Houston venues like Miller Outdoor Theater where they will perform next on June 7.

“We are thrilled to be able to weave sustainable practices into our arts programming, while also giving back to the community,” founder and executive artistic director of Silambam Dr. Lavanya Rajagopalan said in a news release. “The annual savings from this project will allow us to increase artist pay, provide tuition waivers for economically disadvantaged students, and/or provide free or pay-what-you-can access to our ArtStream Concerts, all while benefiting the environment.”

Silambam Houston will use the grant to help with the installation of a rooftop solar array and a new pavilion at its Pearland dance studio. Photo courtesy of Green Mountain

A Houston nonprofit's farm will soon be completely off-grid, running its entire operation on sustainable resources. Photo courtesy of Hope Farms

Houston nonprofit flips switch on solar panel project thanks to sustainability grant

shine on

A Houston-area farm is one step closer to operating completely off-grid thanks to new solar panels installed with funding provided by a grant.

In a step towards a greener future, Hope Farms, a 7-acre farm operated by a Houston nonprofit organization, Recipe for Success Foundation, unveiled 18 new solar panels on Tuesday. This significant move is part of a collective effort to completely transition the farm to solar power, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability.

“The industry (solar power) itself is intimidating to people,” Gracie Cavner, founder and CEO of Hope Farms and Recipe for Success, tells EnergyCapital. “Part of our work is to inspire people to replicate what we're doing. We want to show that things aren't as hard as you think they are.”

The nonprofit organization is recognized in Houston for its work in addressing childhood obesity, with a long held mission of demystifying the common misconceptions around healthy eating. It is now tackling another challenge: dispelling the myth that solar power implementation is difficult. Hope Farms' latest initiative will not only further its energy independence, it will also show that adopting renewable energy, similar to embracing healthy food choices, is a feasible option.

The 18 solar panels will power the farm's composting toilet facility and all of the electricity used in its barn, which acts as its market stand and kitchen. Its next green phase is fast approaching and will implement solar panels on top of its flower studio, where the farm's internet and security systems reside. Its final phase will install a water well pump.

“We really did a lot of direct learning,” Cavner said. “We worked directly with solar engineers, not somebody with a company that benefited from us making one decision or another. I feel like more people would have solar if they realized they could do that.”

This is not the first green step Hope Farms has taken thanks to a Green Mountain Energy Sun Club grant, and certainly not the last. Last year, the farm cut the ribbons to its rainwater capture system that now saves roughly 95,000 gallons of water per year by capitalizing on the city’s abundant rainfall.

Since the farms beginning in 2016, it has relied on solar, even when it was only fields lit by a few lights. Soon, Hope Farms will be completely off-grid, running its entire operation on sustainable resources.

“With this expansion, I feel like it’s going to be taking the rock out of the middle of the river,” Cavner said. “It’s going to open up this train and make it easier for anybody to jump in and do it. The first step is kicking the door open and making more people want to pursue it.”

Hope Farms installed 18 solar panels and already has plans to add more. Photo courtesy of Hope Farms

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Houston company lands first deal from new Blackstone energy transition fund

M&A activity

Asset manager Blackstone has agreed to buy Houston-based Dresser Utility Solutions from Connecticut private equity firm First Reserve for an undisclosed amount. First Reserve has a major presence in Houston.

The deal represents the first investment from Blackstone Energy Transition Partners V.

“Blackstone’s deep resources and experience in the utility sector make them an ideal partner as we continue to invest in innovation, expand our product portfolio, and deliver value for our customers,” Dresser CEO David Evans said in a news release.

Founded in 1880, Dresser provides metering technology, digital instrumentation and software, pressure and flow controls, and infrastructure repair products for gas and water utilities and industrial customers. The company employs about 850 people worldwide.

“As demands on the energy grid continue to grow, Dresser plays a critical role as a trusted partner to utilities managing essential infrastructure. The company’s products are foundational to the safe and reliable operation of gas and water networks, and its reputation for quality has helped build longstanding customer relationships,” David Foley, global head of Blackstone Energy Transition Partners, and JP Munfa, senior managing director, said in the release.

Blackstone Energy Transition Partners has invested more than $28 billion across the energy transition sector. New York-based Blackstone closed Blackstone Energy Transition Partners Fund IV at $5.6 billion in February 2025. Blackstone Energy Transition Partners Fund III closed in 2020 for $4.4 million, according to Pitchbook.

Other notable energy transition investments from Blackstone funds include Salt Lake City-based Energy Exemplar, French electronics manufacturing company Sediver, Plano-based Westwood Professional Services and others.

Two years ago, Dresser secured a $335 million credit facility from funds managed by asset manager Blue Owl Capital. At the time, Dresser said the money would go toward capital expenses, acquisitions and corporate needs.

This is the second notable investment Blackstone has made in a Houston-based energy company in recent months. In May, Blackstone and energy heavyweight Halliburton made a $1 billion equity investment in Houston power generation startup VoltaGrid, which provides behind-the-meter mobile power generation equipment for data centers, microgrids and industrial customers.

5 Houston energy transition news headlines to know for July 2026

Hot Topics

Editor's note: Early July has brought exciting developments in the energy transition sector. Here are the five most-read news stories published on EnergyCapitalHTX from July 1-15, 2026, from KBR's Singapore agreement to Yara's Texas City investment.

1. Houston startup secures $5M to turn oilfield wastewater into critical minerals

Altililion

Houston-based startup Altillion has secured $5 million in seed funding to accelerate the commercialization of its proprietary IRIS and ALIX technologies, which convert oilfield-produced water into valuable minerals. Altillion says the funding will go toward pilot facilities and commercial deployments as the company looks to scale in the U.S. Continue reading.

2. Houston's KBR to provide tech for Singapore SAF plant

Houston engineering and technology contractor KBR has been picked as the technology provider for what’s expected to be Asia's first commercial-scale ethanol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant. KBR will provide technology licensing and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) services based on its PureSAF technology. Continue reading.

3. Texas City ammonia plant acquired by Yara in $1.3 billion deal

Yara North America, a subsidiary of Norwegian fertilizer and ammonia producer Yara International, has agreed to buy an ammonia production plant in Texas City for $1.3 billion. The seller is GCA Holdings, an affiliate of Texas City-based chemical manufacturer Gulf Coast Ammonia, which is owned by private equity firms Lotus Infrastructure Partners and MB Energy. Continue reading.

4. 13 Houston energy sector companies make U.S. News' best places to work

A new U.S. News & World Report ranking of the best employers has named two dozen Houston-based companies among the best companies to work in the South, and more than half are part of the region's booming energy sector. Continue reading.

5. Houston energy startup launches to power AI data centers with Microsoft agreement

Buoyed by a purchase agreement from Microsoft, Houston-based Joulent recently launched to build power plants that meet the electricity demands of AI data centers and other computing-heavy industries. Continue reading.

Houston cleantech startup closes $17M round to tap into hot geothermal sector

fresh funding

Houston-area startup Hephae Energy Technology Corp. has closed a $17.8 million Series A financing round to commercialize its geothermal technology.

The round was co-led by Pennsylvania-based Susquehanna Sustainable Investments, which invests in early-stage climatech companies, and Copenhagen-based Underground Ventures, which focuses on geothermal energy startups. Alfa8, Baruch Future Ventures, Centaurus Capital LP, Elemental Impact, Exa Ventures, Future Ventures, Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, New System Ventures and True North Institute joined the round, along with existing Houston-based investor Nabors Industries. Hyphae reports in a news release that the Series A round brings the company's total capital raised to $24.7 million.

Hephae develops ultra-high-temperature downhole sensing, measurement, communications and control systems that can withstand the heat of geothermal sites, which are hotter and deeper than traditional oil and gas reservoirs. The company's Pandora210 system can operate at up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hephae reports that it plans to use the new funding to commercialize its Pandora210 tool and to launch research and development into systems that can withstand temperatures of up to 570 degrees Fahrenheit. Houston-based Fervo Energy, for instance, recently tapped its hottest geothermal well to date in western Utah, showing temperatures above 555 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Commercial deployment represents a major milestone in our mission to scalable, always-on, emission-free power globally, with a world-class team to tackle this problem," Steve Krase, CEO of Hephae Energy Technology, said in the release." This investment enables Hephae to transition from development to scale, delivering the ultra-high temperature drilling technologies needed to support the rapid growth of the geothermal industry in the US and international markets."

Hephae has been collaborating with Fervo Energy in the field. The company told the Houston Business JournalHouston Business Journal this spring that it expected its Pandora210 technology to be deployed at its Utah sites.

“Fervo is encouraged by the early progress of our collaboration with Hephae, whose novel high-temperature innovations have the potential to contribute positively to EGS economics, unlock higher-energy geothermal resources, and further cement the competitiveness of next-generation geothermal power," Elliot Howard, director of drilling and completions at Fervo, added in the release.

As the geothermal industry continues to scale, Hephae says it aims for its technology to help companies "unlock hotter, deeper resources that result in lower produced energy costs."

The Spring-based startup was founded in 2020 by CEO Steve Krase and CTO John Clegg. Krase previously launched Navigate Energy Services, which was acquired by Nabors in 2013. Clegg is also an industry veteran and has held numerous leadership positions at energy companies, including Weatherford, NOV, Schlumberger and others.

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