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European cleantech company breaks ground on Houston manufacturing site

coming soon

The new facility is expected to be one of the largest manufacturing sites for power conversion systems in the U.S. Photo courtesy Power Electronics

Spanish renewable energy company Power Electronics broke ground on its new 53-acre Houston campus on Sept.24.

The new site is expected to create over 400 local jobs and deliver 40 gigawatts of production capacity per year. The company said in a news release that the campus is expected to be the largest manufacturing site for power conversion systems in the U.S. Power Electronics specializes in solar, energy storage, data centers and electrification technologies.

A completion date and operational start date have not yet been announced.

“For the first time in many years, the United States will be able to meet its growing need for sustainable power generation capacity and energy resilience through local manufacturing, supported by the most advanced technology in the world,” David Salvo, CEO of Power Electronics, said in the news release. “Our [40-gigawatt] Houston Campus will help shape the future of energy and AI growth globally."

Once operational, the manufacturing site will feature two buildings of approximately 150,000 square feet and 700,000 square feet. They will house production, logistics, R&D, corporate offices, training and electronic manufacturing departments.

The company says the Houston campus will be its most automated inverter production site by using advanced technologies in production to streamline day-to-day processes. Inverters convert direct current (DC) electricity that is generated by solar panels and batteries to alternating current (AC) electricity used by electrical grids.

Power Electronics' global headquarters is in Valencia, Spain, with U.S. operations in Houston, Tampa, and Gilbert, Arizona. Its North American headquarters is located at its existing North Houston office on East Airtex Drive. Community Impact News reports that the new manufacturing site is located in the Cy-Fair/Jersey Village area.

Power Electronics shared on LinkedIn that the new Houston campus represents its commitment to its American business and will allow it to serve the market with "greater scale, proximity and local expertise." It currently has more than 116 gigawatts installed in the U.S. and is working toward a global goal of 105 gigawatts of annual global production capacity.

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SunRoper Solar is slated to begin operations in December 2027. Photo courtesy OCI Energy

San Antonio company breaks ground on 347MW solar project outside of Houston

coming soon

Crews have broken ground on the forthcoming 347-megawatt direct-current SunRoper Solar project in Wharton County, Texas, that will add capacity to the ERCOT grid.

The solar project, which is slated to begin operations in December 2027, will provide electricity to an undisclosed Fortune 100 company under a long-term power purchase agreement, according to a news release.

San Antonio’s OCI Energy and Israel's Arava Power are developing the project. It's being financed by ING Capital and constructed by Louisiana-based WHC Inc. The project received $394 million in construction financing in February.

"SunRoper demonstrates how strategic partnerships can help meet Texas' growing demand for electricity through investments in critical energy infrastructure," Sabah Bayatli, president of OCI Energy, said in the release.

Project partners, landowners and company executives attended a groundbreaking event for SunRoper on Sept. 1 at the site outside of the Houston metro area. The companies say they are advancing this energy project to strengthen grid reliability and to help deliver affordable power to one of the highest-demand areas in the state.

“WHC is proud to serve as EPC contractor on the SunRoper Solar project, bringing our construction expertise to bear on a facility that will deliver meaningful power to the Houston region,” Randel Badeaux, president of power North America for WHC, added in the news release. “This groundbreaking reflects months of careful planning and coordination with OCI Energy, Arava Power and our project partners, and we look forward to executing a safe, high-quality build through to completion in 2027.”

OCI Energy currently operates several utility-scale solar and battery energy storage system projects outside of the San Antonio area, and has five other projects under construction outside of San Antonio and Waco, with more than 30 under development in Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, Colorado and Alberta, Canada. The company also has existing projects in New Jersey and Georgia.

Soon, the country will have IONNA's "Rechargery" locations thanks to the support of Texas-based Toyota and other automakers. Rendering courtesy of IONNA

Texas automaker invests in first-of-its-kind EV charging station initiative

plugging in

A charging network founded by eight of the world’s top automakers have announced that they have broken ground on their first electric vehicle charging station.

IONNA will work to transform a historic district gas station into a new "Rechargery" in North Carolina. The initiative is backed by Plano-based Toyota, along with BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, and Stellantis.

With plans to open locations across the country, the station will provide 10 covered parking bays and will be accessible to both CCS and NAC chargers. The charging ports will be capable of up to 400 kilowatts and 800+ Volts. The site will also include an indoor driver’s lounge, coffee service, food/beverage, restrooms, and WIFI.

“We are excited to announce our support of IONNA to deploy DC fast chargers throughout the U.S. and Canada,” Ted Ogawa, president and CEO of Toyota Motor North America, says in a news release. “We believe this will not only promote the adoption of BEVs and increase customer confidence in the technology, but it will provide our Toyota and Lexus customers with access to IONNA’s rapidly growing charging network in North America.”

IONNA will “enable urban and long-distance EV mobility for all with over 30,000 ultra-fast-and-reliable charging points by 2030” according to the company.

IONNA also announced Jackie Slope as the Chief Technology Officer. Slope previously worked with customer experiences at Crypto.com Arena and Madison Square Garden.

“Having spent my career raising the bar around the customer experience I am excited to find ways to innovate and elevate the charging experience by serving the customer above all else in this new and exciting industry,” Slope said in a news release.

While the North Carolina location is the first of its kind, IONNA plans to expand its Rechargery stations around North America soon.

In other EV news, Hyundai Motor and Kia launched a project on Sept. 25 to develop lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cathode material. Hyundai Steel and cathode material market leader EcoPro BM will aim to synthesize materials directly without creating a precursor for LFP battery cathode material production

A Houston company has started construction on a Waco-area solar farm. Photo courtesy of INEOS

Houston company breaks ground on North Texas solar project

coming soon

A Houston-area company has broken ground on a new 310-megawatt solar project located in Bosque County, Texas.

League City-based INEOS Olefins & Polymers and Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources announced the groundbreaking on INEOS Hickerson Solar, which will reportedly save over 310,000 tons of CO2 every year.

“INEOS O&P USA is committed to leading the petrochemical community in adopting renewable energy solutions,” says CEO Mike Nagle in a news release. “This solar project is a crucial step in our global efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of INEOS businesses.”

The INEOS Hickerson Solar project will be constructed, owned and operated by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, and the output will aim to cover the net purchased electricity load for all 14 of INEOS O&P USA’s manufacturing, fractionation and storage facilities. Commercial operation is expected by December 2025.

The project is expected to produce 730,000 megawatt-hours of clean energy annually, which is the equivalent to the annual electricity use of over 68,000 homes. INEOS hopes this will significantly contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 310,000 tons per year.

This follows the recently signed renewable power purchase agreement with NextEra Energy Resources, which is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from wind and sun.

The rig stands 225 feet tall and extends 8,000 feet below the subsurface. Photo via exxonmobil.com

ExxonMobil breaks ground on Texas carbon dioxide storage project

digging in

ExxonMobil announced this month that it has officially broken ground on a groundbreaking carbon dioxide storage site.

According to a release from the company, a new rig is currently being used to gather information about an underground site in Southeast Texas. The rig stands 225 feet tall, but more importantly extends 8,000 feet below the subsurface to investigate if the site is a safe place to store carbon underground.

“Everyone’s excited about this appraisal well because we’re literally breaking ground on a new chapter of our work to help reduce industrial emissions,” Joe Colletti, who oversees carbon capture and storage development along the Gulf Coast for Exxon, says in a statement.

Exxon plans to move the rig to other sites in the Gulf Coast in the future for clients Nucor Corp., CF Industries and Linde.

In the last year, Exxon has made agreements with these regional companies to store carbon captured from their operations.

  • Exxon agreed to transport and permanently store up to 2.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year from Linde’s hydrogen production facility in Beaumont, Texas when it launches in 2025.
  • Exxon agreed to store up to 2 million metric tons per year of CO2 captured from CF Industries’ ammonia plant in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, starting in 2025.
  • Exxon agreed to capture, transport and store up to 800,000 metric tons per year of CO2 from Nucor’s direct reduced iron manufacturing site in Convent, Louisiana starting in 2026.

Together, the three agreements represent a total of 5 million metric tons per year that Exxon plans to transport and store for third-party customers.

“Our agreement with Nucor is the latest example of how we’re delivering on our mission to help accelerate the world's path to net zero and build a compelling new business,” Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, says in a statement over the summer. “Momentum is building as customers recognize our ability to solve emission challenges at scale.”

In addition to the carbon storage agreements, the energy giant also completed the acquisition of Denbury Inc. this month in an all-stock transaction valued at $4.9 billion. The deal adds more than 1,300 miles, including nearly 925 miles of CO2 pipelines in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi to Exxon's CO2 pipeline network.

The deal was first announced this summer.

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8 must-attend Houston energy events happening in November 2026

Mark your calendars

Editor's note: The November calendar is front-loaded with events for those in Houston's energy sector. From annual summits to an expo exploring AI and energy, these are the events you'll want to register for this month.

Nov. 2 — Energy Leadership Speaker Series

Join UH Energy for a conversation with Jason Wells, Chair, President, and Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Energy. The Energy Leadership Speaker Series is a year-long program featuring 12 expert-led sessions covering topics from energy leadership to AI and data science in energy operations. The November topic is "Grid Modernization & The Electricity Revolution."

This event begins at 4:15 pm on November 2 at the University of Houston. Find details here.

Nov. 3-4 — Next-Gen AI for Energy Summit 2026

The summit brings together over 600 senior executives from energy, technology, policy, and investment communities worldwide to explore six strategic areas: operational optimization, digital infrastructure, finance, digital twins, risk management, cybersecurity, and AI-driven market and regulatory strategies. The summit is co-located with EnergyTech X, an invite-only forum connecting energy innovators, AI founders, startups, and investors to scale next-generation energy technologies.

This event begins Nov. 3 at the Intercontinental Houston. Register here.

Nov. 3-5: 17th Annual Operational Excellence in Oil & Gas Summit

The 17th Annual Operational Excellence in Oil & Gas Summit will focus on aligning technology, process, and workforce to balance reliability, resilience, and operational cost. It will feature case studies on AI adoption, asset management, and workforce modernization.

This event begins Nov. 3 at Norris Conference Center. Register here.

Nov. 4-5 — 2026 OPIS Global LPG Conference: Powering Global Connectivity

This November, industry leaders, traders, producers, and infrastructure stakeholders will once again converge in Houston—the world’s LPG hub—for the 2026 OPIS Global LPG Conference. The conference will cover the global LPG market, which is entering a new phase of structural evolution, and how the industry is moving from managing volume to mastering the connectivity between expanding supply hubs and global energy and petrochemical demand.

This event begins Nov. 4 at the Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria. Register here.

Nov. 4-6: SAF North America Congress 2026

The aviation and energy value chains will gather in Houston once again to help shape the future of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in North America. The focus will be on safeguarding progress made to date and ensuring SAF remains central to energy and climate strategies.

This event begins Nov. 4 at Marriott Marquis Houston. Register here.

Nov. 11: BNEF Summit Houston 2026

The BNEF Summit Houston 2026 will explore how AI-driven demand, geopolitical tensions, and electrification are reshaping energy systems at unprecedented speed. Bringing together 600 leaders across energy, tech, digital infrastructure and finance, the summit will address the race to build power, infrastructure, and supply chains — and who will fund, deliver, and benefit from the next phase of growth.

This event takes place Nov. 11 at Post Oak Houston. Register here.

Nov. 11-12: Energy Supply Chain & Procurement Summit

For 12 years, the Energy Supply Chain and Procurement Summit has brought senior procurement, supply chain, and logistics leaders to Houston — from operators, EPCs, utilities, service and equipment providers, and the suppliers they depend on. At the 2026 summit, leaders will discuss what production growth is doing to sourcing, supplier risk, and assurance of supply, and what’s working.

This event begins Nov. 11 at Houston Marriott Uptown. Register here.

Nov. 18-19: American Data Centers & AI Conference and Exhibition 2026

Set to redefine the intersection of energy and digital infrastructure, the American Data Centers & AI Conference and Exhibition convenes in Houston for its second annual event. The event will address the increasing demand for high-performance computing and the sustainable development of AI infrastructure, which requires significant power. Participants can expect to learn about practical solutions in energy integration, modern data center design, and scalable approaches. The agenda includes presentations from leading experts, demonstrations of new technologies for thermal management and grid optimization, and detailed discussions on AI's environmental impact and how to reuse generated heat.

This event begins Nov. 18 at the Double Tree Hotel at Greenway Plaza. Register here.

Utah solar company acquires Houston projects, expands to Texas

solar deals

Utah-based solar technology and battery storage company SunPower has announced its expansion into Texas by acquiring “prime project assets” from Houston installer Green Light Solar.

As part of the deal, Green Light Solar CEO James Garrett will lead SunPower’s U.S. installation group. Garrett is based in the Houston area, according to LinkedIn.

Green Light Solar focuses on residential and commercial solar installations, battery backups and whole-home generators throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Colorado. As of press time, SunPower had not disclosed which specific projects or assets were included in the acquisition.

In addition to the Green Light acquisition, SunPower also announced its second strategic partnership with Fort Worth-based SOLRITE Energy, which provides solar and battery project financing and virtual power plant capabilities.

Through the partnership, SunPower plans to expand its residential solar and battery storage business and grow its virtual power plant (VPP) network in Texas.

A virtual power plant is a network of connected energy sources that can supply electricity to the grid when demand is high. The network draws on energy stored in individual residential and commercial battery systems. VPPs can also help participating homeowners generate additional revenue by selling their stored power.

“SOLRITE not only sources projects to us but also provides project funding for innovative systems with large batteries connected to a VPP, enabling power sales into the open market,” T. J. Rodgers, SunPower CEO, said in a news release. “That VPP capability provides an extra source of income that SOLRITE shares with homeowners and EPCs, making SOLRITE an attractive partner.”

SunPower will bring its sales, installation and lifetime warranty support to the partnership, while SOLRITE will provide its virtual power plant platform and solar financing capabilities, according to the release.

"Building our VPP business is a key part of SunPower’s growth strategy going forward,” Kapil Rai, EVP of Direct at SunPower, added in the release. “Our partnership with SOLRITE gives us a path to bring together customer acquisition, solar, storage deployment, and financing to develop this business in Texas and beyond.”

Solid-state generator company secures $9M in financing, names CTO

fresh financing

ATS Energy has secured a $9 million investment to help commercialize its solid-state generator technology, a representative from the company tells Energy Capital.

The Colorado-based company is a member of Houston's Greentown Labs climatech community and was named the second most-promising startup in the Innovations for Traditional Energy, Electricity, & the Grid track during CERA Week's Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition in March.

ATS's technology converts industrial waste heat into electricity via its proprietary thermoelectric cartridges, according to a news release. The cartridges convert the otherwise wasted thermal energy directly into usable electricity with no turbine, no moving parts and no emissions.

"We have spent years building a proven track record of breakthrough technology," Doug Hudson, CEO of ATS Energy, said in the release. "What has developed over the past year is that markets are moving toward ATS Energy, said in the release. We've moved well beyond early interest to commercial commitments, active proposals and a pipeline that continues to expand across multiple industrial sectors. That puts us in a tremendous position to meet the moment in delivering energy to industry. This investment responds to real commercial opportunity, and it positions ATS Energy to scale production, meet customer demand faster, and drive commercial deployments."

According to the release, ATS plans to complete and deploy its first commercial generator using the thermoelectric cartridges by mid-2027. The company shared that it plans to begin revenue-generating operations next year, as well.

ATS has also named Edward Ganja as its new CTO. Ganja previously served as a technology advisor for ATS and spent more than 30 years at Shell, most recently as vice president of catalyst and analytical technology in Houston, according to LinkedIn.

"Having worked closely with the team as a Technology Adviser, I am thrilled to step into the Chief Technology Officer role to lead our technology strategy and advanced materials scale-up," Ganja shared in a LinkedIn post. "ATS is tackling crucial energy challenges, and I look forward to working with our talented team, partners, and industry colleagues to accelerate our commercial development and technological footprint."

A representative from the company shares that ATS has three employees in Texas, including two in Houston. The company is targeting industrial facilities, including Gulf Coast refineries and petrochemical plants, for its production model, which will leverage established manufacturing capabilities to help quickly scale its commercial pipeline.

"We are scaling manufacturing with the discipline required for commercial-grade industrial deployment, moving beyond proof-of-concept to deliver mission-critical equipment," Terry Hill, COO of ATS, added in the release. "We've been building the supply chain, identifying the right manufacturing partners and putting the processes in place to move toward repeatable production. By leveraging contract manufacturing, we can focus our capital on the technology, the product and our customers rather than building factories. Just as importantly, we're working to reduce the time between installations so we can respond to the demand we're seeing in the market."

ATS won the prestigious Earthshot Prize in the Fix Our Climate category in 2024. The Earthshot Prize, founded by Prince William, awards £1 million to five energy startups each year over a decade.

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