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Texas House Democrats urge Trump administration to restore $250M solar grant

solar grants

Houston U.S. representatives and others from Texas are pushing the Trump administration to reinstate a portion of the $7 billion Biden-era Solar for All program, which aimed to help low-income families reduce their energy costs.. Photo via Pixabay

Eight Democratic members of the U.S. House from Texas, including two from Houston, are calling on the Trump administration to restore a nearly $250 million solar energy grant for Texas that’s being slashed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In a letter to Lee Zeldin, head of the EPA, and Russell Vought, director of the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the House members urged the two officials to reinstate the nearly $250 million grant, which was awarded to Texas under the $7 billion Biden-era Solar for All program. The Texas grant was designed to assist 28,000 low-income households in installing solar panels, aiming to reduce their energy bills.

“This administration has improperly withheld billions in congressionally appropriated funding that was intended to benefit everyday Americans,” the letter stated.

The letter claimed that numerous court rulings have determined the EPA cannot repeal already allocated funding.

“Congress made a commitment to families, small businesses, and communities across this country to lower their utility bills and reduce harmful pollution through investments in clean energy. The Solar for All program was part of that commitment, and the EPA’s actions to rescind this funding effectively undermine that congressional intent,” the House members wrote.

The six House members who signed the letter are:

  • U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Houston
  • U.S. Rep. Al Green of Houston
  • U.S. Rep. Greg Casar of Austin
  • U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas
  • U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin
  • U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson of Dallas
  • U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth

The nearly $250 million grant was awarded last year to the Harris County-led Texas Solar for All Coalition.

In a post on the X social media platform, Zeldin said the recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” killed the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which would have financed the $7 billion Solar for All program.

“The bottom line is this: EPA no longer has the statutory authority to administer the program or the appropriated funds to keep this boondoggle alive,” Zeldin said.

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A new UH survey shows Harris County residents fear power outages more than flooding or wind when severe weather hits. Photo via Getty Images.

Summer outages remain major concern despite CenterPoint upgrades, report shows

power report

A new survey from the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs showed that nearly 70 percent of 2,300 Harris County registered voters polled were very worried or moderately worried about losing power this summer.

The survey asked residents questions about the potential impact of severe summer weather and to evaluate CenterPoint’s efforts to improve the electrical grid over the past year. It was conducted between July 9-18.

Among the three severe weather threats studied—being without power, high winds and flooding—loss of power was the primary concern among respondents. When asked to what extent residents were worried about being without power:

  • 42 percent were very worried
  • 27 percent were moderately worried
  • 19 percent were a little worried
  • 12 percent were not worried at all

Only 25 percent of respondents reported they were very worried about wind damage, and 20 percent were very worried about flooding.

The report also found that 63 percent of respondents held an unfavorable opinion of CenterPoint Energy.

And despite CenterPoint’s $3.2 billion Systemwide Resiliency Plan (SRP), partnerships with AI companies, and its ongoing Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI), 44 percent of respondents said they believe CenterPoint has made only "a little bit" progress on improving the grid's overall reliability.

CenterPoint maintains that the SRP is expected to reduce storm-related outages by 1 billion minutes for its 2.8 million customers by 2029. The company also recently reported a 45 percent reduction in the duration of outages for individual customers from January to June of this year.

“We believe that these resiliency actions will help create a future with fewer outages that impact smaller clusters of customers, coupled with faster restoration times for our Greater Houston communities,” Jason Wells, president and CEO of CenterPoint, previously said in a news release.

Read the full report that includes demographic explanations here.
China-based Trina Storage is starting its U.S. expansion in Houston. Photo via trinasolar.com

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.

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

Harris County looks to future with new Climate Justice Plan

progress plan

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. Here’s a breakdown:

Ecology

The plan will work towards clean air, water, and soil efforts that support the health of the environment, renewable energy that reduces greenhouse gases and pollution, and conservation and protection of our natural resources. Some action items include:

  • Increasing resources for local government agencies
  • Developing a free native seed bank at all libraries
  • Identifying partners and funding streams to reduce the costs of solar power for area households
  • Producing renewable energy on large tracts of land
  • Expanding tree planting by 20 percent
  • Providing tree maintenance and restoration efforts
  • Incentivizing gray water systems and filtration to conserve fresh water

Economy

In terms of the economy, the Climate Justice Plan wants the basic needs of the community met and wants to also incentivize resilience, sustainability, and climate solutions, and recycling and reuse methods. Specific actions include:

  • Quantifying the rising costs associated with climate change
  • Expanding resources and partnering with organizations to support programs that provide food, utility, housing, and direct cash assistance
  • Supporting a coalition of area non-profit organizations and county offices to strengthen social service support infrastructure
  • Supporting home repair, solar installation, and weatherization programs
  • Identify methods to expand free and efficient recycling and composting services
  • Creating a climate tax levied on greenhouse gas emissions to develop a climate fund to offset the impacts of pollution

Infrastructure

As Houston has been prone to hurricanes and flooding damage, the infrastructure portion of the plan aims to protect the region from risks through preventative floodplain and watershed management. Highlights include:

  • Investing in generators and solar power, plus battery backup and bidirectional EV charging for all county libraries
  • Providing more heating and cooling centers with charging stations
  • Coordinating and deploying community microgrids, especially in neighborhoods prone to losing power
  • Seeking partnerships and funding for low- or no-cost water purifiers for areas with the highest needs
  • Protecting the electric grid through regular maintenance and upgrading, and advocating for greater accountability and responsiveness among appointed officials
  • Developing regulations to require resilient power line infrastructure to prevent outages and failures in new developments

Community and Culture

Housing, a strong economy and access to affordable and healthy food will be achieved under the community aspect of the plan. Under culture, the plan seeks to share knowledge and build trust. Key goals include:

  • Developing a campaign to promote the use of the Harris County 311 system to identify critical community concerns
  • Supporting the development of a Community Housing Plan that ensures stable and safe housing
  • Advocating for revisions to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster funding to account for renters’ losses and unmet housing needs
  • Developing and funding a whole-home program for repairs, weatherization, and solar energy
  • Developing culturally relevant public relations campaigns to increase knowledge of health, environment and biodiversity across generations
Read the full plan here.
Here are all the events on CERAWeek's Agora track you can't miss if learning more about Houston energy innovation is your goal. Staff photo

Here are 20+ CERAWeek 2025 events featuring Houston energy leaders

where to be

CERAWeek 2025 will host more than 1,400 speakers at its annual energy-focused conference taking place March 10-14, with many hailing from Houston.

Under this year's theme, "Moving Ahead: Energy strategies for a complex world,” panels will tackle topics ranging from policy and regulation, geopolitics, power, grid, and electrification, AI and digital, managing emissions, and more.

Most of the innovation-themed events are organized under the Agora track and will feature many Houston-area startups, universities, companies, and scientists. Here are all the events on the Agora track you can't miss if you want to learn more about Houston energy innovation.

Transition in Action: Energy giants shaping a sustainable future

ExxonMobil's Senior Director, Climate Strategy & Technology Vijay Swarup will examine how major energy companies are driving energy transition goals along with panelists from S&P Global, Aramco Ventures and Gentari Sdn Bhd.

This panel is from 12:30-1 p.m. on Monday, March 10. More info here.

Syzygy Plasmonics | Deploying the World’s Most Economic Biogas to SAF Technology

Hear from Syzygy Plasmonics CEO Trevor Best about how the cleantech company's catalyst and reactor work and how the tools can dramatically reduce the cost of producing SAF from biogas from landfills, wastewater, and dairy farms.

This panel is from 2-2:30 p.m. on Monday, March 10. More info here.

Cemvita | The Future of Bioengineered Feedstocks: A Foresight Perspective

Cemvita CEO Moji Karimi will lead this panel.

This panel is from 4:30-5:15 p.m. on Monday, March 10. More info here.

Innovating with Purpose: Strengthening industrial-academic partnerships

David Dankworth, ExxonMobil's Hydrogen Technology Portfolio Manager, and Brian Korgel, the University of Texas Energy Institute Director, will be joined by leaders from MIT and S&P Global to discuss the crucial relationship between universities and industry in fostering purpose-driven innovation.

This panel is from 8:30–9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More info here.

Solidec | Low-cost, Low-carbon Chemicals from Air

Solidec co-founder and CEO Ryan DuChanois will discuss how the company's approach to producing hydrogen peroxide and other key chemicals can be low-cost and low-carbon, creating a scalable path for a more sustainable chemical industry.

This panel is from 9-9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Collaboration Spotlight: The Carbon Hub: A public-private partnership leading the way to a sustainable carbon economy

Panelists from Rice University, Huntsman Advanced Materials, CERAWeek, The Kavli Foundation, and SABIC will discuss Rice's Carbon Hub's transformative power and what the future looks like for those creating this new carbon economy. Matteo Pasquali, the founding Director of the Carbon Hub, will be featured on the panel.

This panel is from 9:30-10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Rice University | Next-generation Electrolyzers and Electrolysis

Haotian Wang, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University and co-founder of Solidec, will discuss the development of next-generation electrolyzers that enable lower-cost and more energy-efficient carbon capture, chemical manufacturing and critical metal recovery.

This panel is from 9:30–10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

ExxonMobil | Real-world Progress on Building a Low-carbon Business

Schuyler Evans, ExxonMobil's CCS commerical and business development manager low carbon solutions, will speak on how the energy giant is navigating a complex energy transition and share insights into the strategic thinking behind building a new business that helps reduce emissions.

This panel is from 10-10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Enovate.AI | AI-driven Advantage: Automate. Optimize. Decarbonize.

Enovate.AI Chief Experience Officer Rebecca Nye, joined by Last Mile Production, will show how its 3-clicks digital strategy empowers operators to make faster, smarter decisions—reducing emissions, enhancing productivity and unlocking new levels of profitability.

This panel is from 10:30–11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Financing the Future: Scaling clean energy through innovative investment strategies

Jim Gable, president of Chevron Technology Ventures and vice president of innovation, along with Greentown Lab's new CEO Georgina Campbell Flatter, will discuss the bankability of technologies in different geographies, investment opportunities in emerging markets, sources of funding and risk management strategies investors are using. Panelists also include leaders from Siemens Energy, Energy Impact Partners, and S&P Global Commodity Insights.

This panel is from 12:30–1:10 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Sage Geosystems | Geothermal at the Speed of Need: How Sage Geosystems is meeting growing energy demand

Learn from Jason Peart, general manager of strategy and development, how Sage's approach to geothermal technology is tackling the fast-growing energy demands of critical sectors, including data centers, utilities, energy storage, and US Department of Defense projects.

This panel is from 1:30–2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Rice University | Valuing Nature-based Solutions for CO2 Removal

Carrie Masiello, director of the Rice Sustainability Institute, will introduce to the breadth of nature-based solutions possible, explore some of the most exciting opportunities and give guidance on how to think rigorously about matching individual NBS opportunities to specific portfolio needs.

This panel is from 1:30–2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Square Robot | Bridging the Divide: How Square Robot's tank inspections align corporate strategy with on-the-ground reality

Square Robot CEO David Lamont will discuss how companies can keep their tank assets online by adopting new technology and navigating the challenges of aligning corporate objectives with site-level realities.

This panel is from 3–3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

The Green Gold Rush: A multi-trillion dollar opportunity?

Bobby Tutor, chairman of Houston Energy Transition Initiative and CEO of Artemis Energy Partners, will be joined by leaders from Accenture, S&P Global, and BeyondNetZero to discuss the immense economic potential of climate solutions and highlight the business opportunities created by the transition to a low-carbon economy.

This panel is from 4–4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

ExxonMobil | Applying Technology to Maximize Value in the Permian Basin

James Ritchie, Exxon's vice president upstream technology portfolio, will share the latest technologies being developed and deployed to improve recovery and capital efficiency in the Permian Basin and demonstrate how these technologies and innovations maximize overall value while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water usage.

This panel is from 2:30–3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12. More information here.

Rice University | Plasma Foundry for Scalable Industrial Decarbonization

Aditya Mohite, a Rice professor and the faculty director of the Rice Engineering Initiative for Energy Transition and Sustainability (REINVENTS), will share how The Plasma Foundry, a 1:1 customized accelerator at Rice, is using cold plasma technology and its accelerator model to provide disruptive solutions at scale.

This panel is from 9:30–10:15 a.m. on Thursday, March 13. More information here.

Fervo Energy | Speed and Scale: The Geothermal Decade Is Now

Quinn Woodard Jr., Fervo Energy's senior director, power generation and surface facilities, will discuss how the company is pioneering transformative EGS technology to power data centers, homes and beyond.

This panel is from 10:30–11 a.m. on Thursday, March 13. More information here.

Corrolytics | Digitizing and Revolutionizing Corrosion Detection and Monitoring for Industrial Assets

Anwar Sadek, Corrolytics co-founder and CEO, will share how the company is revolutionizing corrosion detection and monitoring with patented technology to proactively enhance safety, reduce costs and extend asset lifespan.

This panel is from 10:30–11 a.m. on Thursday, March 13. More information here.

Zeta Energy | The Rise of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: A solution to critical metal constraints

Rodrigo Salvatierra, Zeta's chief science officer, will introduce Zeta Energy’s lithium-sulfurized carbon technology, which effectively addresses the key limitations of lithium-sulfur batteries.

This panel is from 3–3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 13. More information here.

Future Cities on the Move: Innovative pathways for sustainable urban mobility

Lisa Lin, Harris County's director of sustainability, will speak on this panel on successful public-private partnerships driving innovation in sustainable transport by leveraging technology and data analytics. She'll be joined by Aberdeen's council co-lead and leaders from S&P Global and GreenCap, based in Cape Town, South Africa.

This panel is from 3:30–4 p.m. on Thursday, March 13. More information here.

Collaboration Spotlight: Building a resilient Gulf Coast energy and chemical sector

Greater Houston Partnership and HETI's Jane Stricker will join Ramanan Krishnamoorti from the University of Houston and leaders from Argonne National Laboratory and SABIC to explore opportunities and pathways to strengthen the US Gulf Coast’s global leadership position in base chemical manufacturing and the national security and economic opportunities that innovation and process integration create.

This panel is from 4:30–5 p.m. on Thursday, March 13. More information here.

An inspection is no longer required to renew registration, but an emission evaluation is. Photo by Manuel Velasquez/Unsplash

What to know about the new emission inspection to register your car in Texas

keep it clean

Beginning January 1, 2025, Texas vehicle owners will no longer need to obtain a safety inspection prior to vehicle registration. House Bill 3297, passed during the 88th Legislature in 2023, eliminates the safety inspection program for non-commercial vehicles.

Under the new law, the $7.50 fee that drivers had to pay as a safety inspection fee has not gone away. It now appears on your registration notice under a new name: "Inspection Program Replacement Fee."

This name change comes courtesy of the legislature, who want to keep collecting this fee because the funds go to state programs such as construction and expansion of state highways — funds they previously collected from the Safety Inspection Fee.

And while the safety inspection is gone, state law will still require that drivers in 17 counties must pass an "emission inspection" on vehicles that are 2 to 24 years old, in order to get your vehicle registered.

But what does an "emissions inspection" mean?

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) details the following changes:

Safety inspection out, emissions testing in
Until December 31, 2024, safety inspections are required for vehicle registration in all 254 counties. Beginning January 1, 2025, noncommercial vehicles in Texas will no longer be required to have an annual safety inspection. Instead, vehicles will have to get an emissions inspection on gasoline-powered vehicles that are 2 to 24 years old.

What is no longer going to be "inspected"?
Texas Transportation Code §548.051 specifies the list of old-school inspection items which will no longer be checked. Moving forward, they will no longer be checking: tires, wheel assembly, safety guards, safety flaps, brakes, steering, lighting, horns, mirrors, windshield wipers, sunscreening devices, and front seat belts in vehicles on which seat belt anchorages were part of the manufacturer's original equipment.

What will still be inspected are listed as "Items 12–15": exhaust system, exhaust emissions system, fuel tank cap, and emissions control equipment. These will be part of the emissions inspection process in 17 counties.

Those 17 counties where this is relevant include:

  • DFW: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant
  • Houston: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery
  • Austin: Travis and Williamson
  • El Paso County

Beginning on November 1, 2026, emissions inspections will be required for vehicles registered in Bexar County.

Where will emissions inspections be obtained?
Emissions inspections can be obtained at DPS-certified vehicle inspection stations in the 17 emissions counties. These will be the exact same inspection locations we've been going to all along, when it was called a safety inspection. Emissions inspections are not available in the other 237 Texas counties.

DPS offers an inspection station locator online.

What is the estimated cost of an emissions inspection?
Vehicle owners will pay an emissions inspection fee of $2.50 annually to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) at the time of registration. The actual fee you'll pay at the inspection station (as listed on TCEQ’s website) will be $25.50. Just like the former "safety inspection" fee.

In short: There is little that's changing about the entire inspection process, except they won't bother making you honk your horn.

———

This article originally ran on CultureMap.

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Houston companies partner to advance industrial carbon capture tech

green team

Carbon Clean and Samsung E&A, both of which maintain their U.S. headquarters in Houston, have formed a partnership to accelerate the global use of industrial carbon capture systems.

Carbon Clean provides industrial carbon capture technology. Samsung E&A offers engineering, construction and procurement services. The companies say their partnership will speed up industrial decarbonization and make carbon capture more accessible for sectors that face challenges in decarbonizing their operations.

Carbon Clean says its fully modular columnless carbon capture unit, known as CycloneCC, is up to 50 percent smaller than traditional units and each "train" can capture up to 100,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

“Our partnership with Samsung E&A marks a major milestone in scaling industrial carbon capture,” Aniruddha Sharma, chair and CEO of Carbon Clean, said in a news release.

Hong Namkoong, CEO of Samsung E&A, added that the partnership with Carbon Clean will accelerate the global rollout of carbon capture systems that “are efficient, reliable, and ready for the energy transition.”

Carbon Clean and Samsung E&A had previously worked together on carbon capture projects for Aramco, an oil and gas giant, and Modec, a supplier of floating production systems for offshore oil and gas facilities. Aramco’s Americas headquarters is also in Houston, as is Modec’s U.S. headquarters.

Major Houston energy companies join new Carbon Measures coalition

green team

Six companies with a large presence in the Houston area have joined a new coalition of companies pursuing a better way to track the carbon emissions of products they manufacture, purchase and finance.

Houston-area members of the Carbon Measures coalition are:

  • Spring-based ExxonMobil
  • Air Liquide, whose U.S. headquarters is in Houston
  • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, whose U.S. headquarters is in Houston
  • Honeywell, whose Performance Materials and Technologies business is based in Houston.
  • BASF, whose global oilfield solutions business is based in Houston
  • Linde, whose Linde Engineering Americas business is based in Houston

Carbon Measures will create an accounting framework that eliminates double-counting of carbon pollution and attributes emissions to their sources, said Amy Brachio, the group’s CEO. The model is expected to take two years to develop, and between five and seven years to scale up, Bloomberg reported.

The coalition wants to create a system that will “unleash markets and competition,” unlock investments and speed up the pace of emissions reduction, said Brachio, former vice chair of sustainability at professional services firm EY.

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,” said Darren Woods, chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil. “The first step to reducing global emissions is to know where they’re coming from — and today, we don’t have an accurate system to do this.”

Other members of the coalition include BlackRock-owned Global Infrastructure Partners, Banco Satanader, EY and NextEra Energy.

“Transparent and consistent emissions accounting is not just a technical necessity — it’s a strategic imperative. It enables smarter decisions and accelerates real progress across industries and borders,” said Ken West, president and CEO of Honeywell Energy and Sustainability Solutions.

Wind and solar supplied over a third of ERCOT power, report shows

power report

Since 2023, wind and solar power have been the fastest-growing sources of electricity for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and increasingly are meeting stepped-up demand, according to a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The report says utility-scale solar generated 50 percent more electricity for ERCOT in the first nine months this year compared with the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, electricity generated by wind power rose 4 percent in the first nine months of this year versus the same period in 2024.

Together, wind and solar supplied 36 percent of ERCOT’s electricity in the first nine months of 2025.

Heavier reliance on wind and solar power comes amid greater demand for ERCOT electricity. In the first nine months of 2025, ERCOT recorded the fastest growth in electricity demand (5 percent) among U.S. power grids compared with the same period last year, according to the report.

“ERCOT’s electricity demand is forecast to grow faster than that of any other grid operator in the United States through at least 2026,” the report says.

EIA forecasts demand for ERCOT electricity will climb 14 percent in the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period this year. This anticipated jump coincides with a number of large data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities coming online next year.

The ERCOT grid covers about 90 percent of Texas’ electrical load.

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