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Japanese energy tech manufacturer to relocate US HQ to Houston, open new facility

moving in

TMEIC will move its headquarters to Houston next year and open a new manufacturing facility in the region later this year. Photo via tmeic.com

A Japanese company has announced its moving its United States headquarters to Houston and is gearing up top open its new Houston-area factory as well.

TMEIC Corporation Americas, previously headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, will officially be located in Houston, effect March of 2025. Additionally, the company will open a state-of-the-art 144,000-square-foot facility in Brookshire, which will be dedicated to manufacturing utility-scale PV inverters. The expansion is expected to create 300 local jobs.

The TMEIC group specializes in photovoltaic inverters and energy storage systems, and has over 50 GW of renewable energy systems installed worldwide as of July 2024.

"We are excited to make these investments for an expanded presence in the Houston area with the relocation of our headquarters and the opening of our new manufacturing facility,” Manmeet S. Bhatia, president and CEO of TMEIC Corporation Americas, says in a news release. ”These investments and expansions will potentially create up to 300 jobs in the local community,"

The relocation to the Houston as the energy capital of the world is part of TMEIC’s strategic goals for growth in “renewable energy technology, domestic based manufacturing, and bolstering its global sustainability efforts,” according to a news release.

The Brookshire facility will be complete by October of 2024, and will be close to TMEIC’s existing uninterruptible power supply and medium voltage drive manufacturing plant in Katy. When operational, it will have the capacity to produce 9 gigawatts annually.

“This strategic expansion underscores TMEIC's dedication to the renewable energy industry, advancing clean energy technology, maintaining strong client relationships, and competing on a global basis while proudly manufacturing in the United States,” Bhatia adds.

Chevron expects all of its corporate functions to shift to Houston over the next five years. Photo via Getty Images

Following years of speculation, Chevron announces HQ move to Houston

big news

The Energy Capital of the World is adding another jewel to its corporate crown.

With the impending move of Chevron’s headquarters from Northern California to Houston, the Houston area will be home to 24 Fortune 500 companies. Chevron ranks 15th on this year’s Fortune 500.

Oil and gas giant Chevron, currently based in San Ramon, California, will join three Fortune 500 competitors that already maintain headquarters in the Houston area:

  • Spring-based ExxonMobil, No. 7 on the Fortune 500
  • Houston-based Phillips 66, No. 26 on the Fortune 500
  • Houston-based ConocoPhillips, No. 68 on the Fortune 500

Chevron, which posted revenue of $200.9 billion in 2023, employs about 7,000 people in the Houston area and about 2,000 people in San Ramon. The company says its chairman and CEO, Mike Wirth, and vice chairman, Mark Nelson, will move to Houston before the end of 2024.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Wirth acknowledged Chevron’s differences of opinion with California policymakers regarding energy matters.

“We believe California has a number of policies that raise costs, that hurt consumers, that discourage investment and ultimately we think that’s not good for the economy in California and for consumers,” Wirth said.

Chevron expects all of its corporate functions to shift to Houston over the next five years. Jobs that support the company’s California operations will remain in San Ramon, where Chevron employs about 2,000 people. Some Chevron employees in San Ramon will relocate to Houston.

The company’s move to Houston hardly comes as a surprise. Speculation about a relocation to Houston intensified after Chevron sold its 98-acre San Ramon headquarters in 2022 and moved corporate employees to leased office space. Over the past several years, Chevron has shifted various corporate functions to Houston.

“This is just the final step that many industry observers were waiting to happen,” Ken Medlock, senior director of the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies at Rice University, says in a news release.

“To start, Houston provides a world-class location for internationally focused energy companies, which is why there is such a massive international presence here,” Medlock adds. “Texas is also the nation’s largest energy producer across multiple energy sources and is poised to lead in emerging opportunities such as hydrogen and carbon capture, so Houston is a great place for domestically focused activities as well.”

The announcement of Chevron’s exit from California comes just a year after ExxonMobil finalized its relocation from Irving to Spring.

“Chevron’s decision to relocate its headquarters underscores the compelling advantages that position Houston as the prime destination for leading energy companies today and for the future,” Steve Kean, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, says in a post on the organization’s website.

“With deep roots in our region,” he adds, “Chevron is [a] key player in establishing Houston as a global energy leader. This move will further enhance those efforts.”

Baker Hughes has officially moved into its new headquarters in Houston. Photo via bakerhughes.com

Baker Hughes unveils new HQ in Houston's Energy Corridor

moving in

Houston-based Baker Hughes officially opened the doors to its new headquarters in the Energy Corridor last week.

At a celebration held Oct. 23, the energy service company unveiled its new space within Energy Center II at 575 N. Dairy Ashford. The move represents a consolidation of Baker Hughes' various offices in the Houston-area as the company decreases its corporate footprint by about 346,000-square-feet, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle.

It is moving from its former headquarters in North Houston, near IAH. About 1,300 employees will work from the building, according to a statement from Baker Hughes.

“The opening of our new Houston headquarters is an important moment in our strategic transformation as we continue to take energy forward,” Lorenzo Simonelli, Baker Hughes chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “Collaboration will be key to solving for the energy transition. We look forward to collaborating with our colleagues, partners, customers and new neighbors in the Energy Corridor to solve the Energy Trilemma.”

Additionally, the company reported that the new space will aim to help the company reduce costs, cut emissions, create more flexible workspaces and strengthen relationships within the Energy Corridor.

The new HQ includes features such as

  • Tech- and food-free quiet zones
  • Hybrid experience rooms for enhanced online meetings
  • About 25 open collaboration spaces
  • About 40 meeting rooms, including hybrid meeting rooms and a creative thinking room
  • About 12 community spaces
  • Nursing mothers suites
  • Prayer and meditation rooms

In other HQ news, ExxonMobil officially changed its headquarters to Houston over the summer. A July 5 filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission showed a significant step toward the HQ move that Exxon originally announced in early 2022.

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What to expect from the 2025 Greentown Labs' Climatetech Summit Houston

where to be

Greentown Labs' Climatetech Summit Houston will take place next Tuesday, Nov. 4, bringing together philanthropists, executives and innovators in the energy transition space.

John Arnold, co-founder and co-chair of Arnold Ventures, will participate in the keynote fireside chat with Greentown CEO Georgina Campbell Flatter. The conversation will explore "top priorities and opportunities in energy innovation today—with a special focus on how these dynamics are playing out in Houston," according to Greentown.

Other highlights will include:

  • Welcome remarks from Houston Mayor John Whitmire
  • A course led by TEX-E Executive Director Sandy Guitar
  • A philanthropy panel featuring Greentown Labs new Head of Philanthropy Stacey Harris
  • The Energy Jobs of the Future, featuring Sameer Bandhu, GE Vernova’s managing director, ventures and licensing
  • An Energy-transition Roadmap, featuring Monica Krishnan, Hermann Lebit and Bobby Tudor
  • What is Climatetech? featuring Kyle Judah, Emerson Denka Wangdi, Laureen Meroueh and Head of Greentown Houston Lawson Gow

Five Greentown Labs startups will also present their pitches at the event. Expect to hear from:

  • MCatalysis Inc. CEO, President, and Founder Michael D. Irwin. Dallas-based MCatalysis develops novel, high-efficiency industrial microwave processes and catalysts to produce low-cost, clean synthetic fuels and chemicals from waste carbon resources.
  • Pike Robotics CEO and co-founder Connor Crawford. Austin-based Pike Robotics provides next-gen robotic solutions for in-service inspection of floating roof storage tanks.
  • Helix Earth CEO and co-founder Rawand Rasheed. Houston-based Helix Earth retrofits commercial HVAC systems to improve energy efficiency.
  • 10DQ CEO Steven Reece. Greentown Boston member 10DQ has developed its Redox Loop Battery, which uses novel, water-based electrolytes to store energy in dense, low-cost, earth-abundant battery materials.
  • Janta Power CEO Mohammed Njie. Dallas-based Janta Power is developing 3D solar towers.

In addition to the startup pitches, attendees will also be able to meet founders and Greentown members during the afternoon startup showcase. A networking reception at Axelrad Houston follows. A separate ticket offers admission to the showcase and networking event only.

See the full agenda here.

California company launches Tesla Megapack battery project in Houston area

power on

Oakland, California-based Nightpeak Energy announced earlier this month that its 150-megawatt battery storage project in Brazoria County, known as Bocanova Power, is now operating to address Houston’s peak capacity needs.

“This battery storage project will enhance grid reliability in the Alvin area while continuing to support integrating renewable energy,” Cary Perrin, president and CEO of the Northern Brazoria County Chamber of Commerce, said in a news release. “I believe we need energy storage now more than ever for its pivotal role in reducing strain on the grid while meeting fast-growing power demand in Texas and Brazoria County."

The project reached commercial operation in August, according to the release. The project utilizes Tesla's Megapack 2 XL battery storage system, and the facility operates under a long-term power purchase agreement with an undisclosed “investment-grade power purchaser.”

“Bocanova Power demonstrates the speed at which Nightpeak Energy is overcoming complex challenges to energize projects that support America's growing need for affordable, reliable, and secure energy,” Paris Hays, co-founder and CEO/CDO of Nightpeak Energy, added in the news release. “Unprecedented AI data center and manufacturing growth has only accelerated the need for these resources.”

Hays added in the release that the company has plans for more energy infrastructure projects in Texas and in the Western U.S.

Nightpeak Energy develops, owns and operates power plants that support the growing capacity needs of a decarbonized grid. It also owns and operates 240 MW of battery storage and natural gas generation facilities.

The company was founded in 2022 and backed by equity funding of up to $200 million from Dallas-based investment firm Energy Spectrum Capital.

Texas ranks low on most energy-efficient states report

by the numbers

Texas has room to improve when it comes to energy efficiency, recent data from WalletHub shows.

The personal finance website ranked Texas at No. 35 on the latest Most & Least Energy-Efficient States list. Texas improved by one spot on the 2025 report, after coming in at No. 36 last year.

The report measured and ranked the efficiency of auto energy and home energy consumption in the 48 U.S. mainland states based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Climatic Data Center, U.S. Energy Information Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration.

Texas earned an overall score of 50.60. It was ranked No. 27 for home energy efficiency and No. 41 for auto efficiency. By comparison, No. 1-ranked Vermont earned a score of 85.30, ranking No. 2 for home energy and No. 6 for out energy.

The top five overall states included:

  • No. 1 Vermont
  • No. 2 California
  • No. 3 Washington
  • No. 4 New York
  • No. 5 Massachusetts

South Dakota earned the top rank for home energy efficiency, and Massachusetts earned the top rank for energy efficiency.

“Energy efficiency doesn’t just help save the planet – it also helps save you money by lowering the amount of electricity, gas, oil or other types of energy you need to consume. While there are some steps you can take to become more energy-efficient on your own, living in the right area can give you a big boost," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report. "For example, certain states have much better public transportation systems that minimize your need to drive, at least in big cities. Some places also have better-constructed buildings that retain heat better during the winter or stay cooler during the summer.”

According to the report, some progress is being made in increasing energy efficiency across the country. The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects 26 percent of electricity generation in 2026 will come from renewables. A number of them are being developed in the Houston area, including recent announcements like the Pleasure Island Power Collective in Port Arthur.

Still, Houston earned an abysmal ranking on WalletHub's greenest cities in the U.S. report earlier this year, coming in at No. 99 out of 100. Read more here.

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