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Houston Energy Transition Initiative celebrates milestones of 2024 amid global energy innovation

the view from HETI

Jane Stricker and Bobby Tudor reflect on the Houston Energy Transition Initiative's three years of advancing Houston's leadership in the global energy transition through innovation, collaboration, and investment in a low-carbon future. Photos courtesy

As we wrap up our third year, the Houston Energy Transition Initiative and our region have much to celebrate. Alongside our members and partners, HETI strengthens Houston’s position as the global leader in meeting the dual challenge, leading the world to an affordable, secure, and low-carbon energy future.

Across our region, we continue to see strong growth in the number of energy and energy transition projects announced, energy and cleantech companies of all sizes and across all segments calling Houston home, and the volume of energy related capital investment flowing into Houston and Houston-headquartered companies.

As detailed in our year-end recap, HETI has engaged domestic and international business leaders, policymakers, and dignitaries across the US and the world, showcasing Houston as a destination for and producer of energy transition talent and innovation. Through those engagements and our members’ efforts in HETI Working Groups, we have continued to demonstrate the critical role Houston companies play in providing the world with affordable and reliable energy while also accelerating the development and deployment of innovative technologies in support of our collective climate goals.

As Bill Gates noted during his visit to Houston for CERAWeek this year, Texas has the potential to be the “Silicon Valley of Energy” and is “showing the world how to power a clean tomorrow.”

Through our collective efforts, the world is recognizing something we Houstonians have known for years – the world’s ability to meet the dual challenge of more energy with significantly less emissions requires a new level of collaboration across our entire energy ecosystem – including government, academia, startups, incubators, investors, and our incumbent energy industry – which has the assets, the resources, and the know-how to scale solutions for an energy-abundant, low-carbon future.

It’s been another tremendous year for HETI, but we still have a lot of work ahead. Your continued support and engagement will allow us to further Houston’s position as the global leader in a rapidly changing energy landscape. As we head into 2025, we will continue to convene, communicate, advocate, and engage in support of our collective vision – leveraging Houston’s energy leadership to accelerate solutions for an energy-abundant, low-carbon future.

To learn more about HETI’s 2024 Year, view the full year in review, click here.

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This letter — written by Jane Stricker, senior vice president, and Bobby Tudor, chair, of HETI — originally ran on the Greater Houston Partnership's Houston Energy Transition Initiative blog. HETI exists to support Houston's future as an energy leader. For more information about the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, EnergyCapitalHTX's presenting sponsor, visit htxenergytransition.org.

Sarah Jewett, vice president of strategy at Fervo Energy, shares how Fervo has been able to leverage proven oil and gas technologies, such as horizontal drilling, and more, to pave the way toward a low-carbon energy future. Photo via HETI

Houston geothermal exec shares why she sees the potential of geothermal power

the view from heti

Houston-based Fervo Energy, the leader in enhanced geothermal technology, is accelerating decarbonization by bringing 24/7 carbon-free electricity to the grid.

Fervo’s mission is to leverage geoscience innovations to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Fervo continues to demonstrate the commercial viability and scalability of enhanced geothermal energy, which uses breakthrough techniques to harness heat from the earth and generate continuous electricity.

Sarah Jewett, VP of Strategy at Fervo, shared more about how Fervo has been able to leverage proven oil and gas technologies, such as horizontal drilling, well stimulation, and fiber-optic sensing, to pave the way toward a low-carbon energy future.

Q: Can you share your background and tell us a little about your career prior to joining Fervo Energy?

I’m a mechanical engineer by training. My career started in oil field services after working internships in hydropower and wind power. Transition technologies, such as enhanced geothermal systems, require a wide range of technical and operational innovations. When I joined Fervo Energy, I knew I was with the right team to accomplish the massive mission of addressing climate change.

Q: What are some of the challenges Fervo encounters as a carbon-free energy company?

There are a lot of misperceptions around the geothermal industry. Traditional geothermal wells require highly specific subsurface conditions—the right heat, fluid saturation, and permeability. Because of this, it has been challenging to scale geothermal energy.

Our enhanced geothermal technology is a game changer, but our technical demonstrations are capital intensive. So, one of our biggest ongoing challenges is to execute our projects flawlessly, building a new reputation centered around scalability and affordability.

In addition, when we started, we faced a somewhat uncertain market. Today, as companies look for innovative ways to decarbonize operations, geothermal has become one of the hottest renewables on the market.

Q: You’re now in your seventh year as a company. What are some of the major milestones that have contributed to the success of the business?

Fervo recently completed the 30-day well test on Project Red, a first-of-its-kind geothermal pilot project, located in northern Nevada. We confirmed record production of 24/7 carbon-free enhanced geothermal energy, which established Project Red as the most productive enhanced geothermal system in history.

This success validated the commercial viability of Fervo’s geothermal well construction and monitoring technologies, which leverage drilling and production innovations from modern oil and gas development. Since then, we’ve broken ground on our Cape Station project, a near-field development in southwest Utah that is set to deliver 400 MW of power by 2028.

Q: Tell us about your vision for the future. What is Fervo Energy focused on in 2024?

We’re ushering in a new era of geothermal energy. Our approach to enhanced geothermal energy is no longer a theoretical concept—it’s a proven solution for meeting the world’s growing demand for sustainable energy. We’re building modular power facilities and we’re able to scale them quickly. In 2024, we’re focused on finding the capital we need to achieve the scale we want. That will be key to unlocking much more growth.

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This article originally ran on the Greater Houston Partnership's Houston Energy Transition Initiative blog. HETI exists to support Houston's future as an energy leader. For more information about the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, EnergyCapitalHTX's presenting sponsor, visit htxenergytransition.org.

Learn more about Fervo Energy and its pioneering approach to next-generation geothermal energy.

Daikin is the world’s leading air conditioning and refrigeration company, with its US headquarters and North America manufacturing facility based in Waller, Texas. Photo via htxenergytransition.org

Visiting Daikin: Houston energy transition innovation is the heart of operations

the view from HETI

In the energy capital of the world, we often think and talk about the energy transition and low carbon solutions in the context of energy production and distribution – whether it’s adding more renewables to the grid, reducing the CO2 emissions of our existing energy resources with CCUS and Hydrogen, developing energy storage technology to manage intermittency, or deploying other innovative solutions designed to produce or deliver more energy with fewer emissions – Houston is leading on all fronts.

But these aren’t the only solutions needed as we seek to solve one of the most challenging issues of our time. We cannot focus only on innovating the production and distribution of energy. As the demand for energy grows, locally and globally, we must also think innovatively about reducing the demand for energy, while still maintaining, and improving, quality of life. I had the opportunity recently to visit a company that is doing just that, right here in the Houston region.

Daikin is the world’s leading air conditioning and refrigeration company, with their US headquarters and North America manufacturing facility based right here, just 30 minutes northwest of downtown Houston in Waller, Texas. The Daikin Texas Technology Park, a 4.2 million ft2 facility, equal to 74 football fields, is dedicated to developing, manufacturing and marketing innovative solutions for meeting its customers’ needs while also reducing the energy required to keep people cool. Currently, air conditioning accounts for around 10% of global electricity consumption, with rapid demand growth expected in the future. As electrification becomes a key pathway to the decarbonization of various industries, demand for low-carbon power will continue to grow.

Achieving an affordable, reliable, and low-carbon future will require innovation across the entire energy value chain – from production to consumption, and, as the world’s leading air conditioning manufacturer, Daikin, is leading the way in developing innovative solutions to achieve optimum comfort and energy savings.

Three things struck me during my recent visit to the Daikin Texas Technology Park (DTTP):

  1. Innovation is at the heart of their operation. The integration of engineering and manufacturing in a single location facilitates collaboration and product innovation and accelerates implementation. The LEED Gold Certified facility was also innovatively designed to maximize energy efficiency and minimize environmental impact.
  2. People are a priority. The diversity of the 8000+ employees working at the DTTP was incredible. During the visit, we had the opportunity to see team members from many different backgrounds and with various skills and education working in all parts of their operation. They also offer a STEM scholarship program in partnership with the Waller Area Chamber of Commerce.
  3. They are environmentally focused. Daikin is fully committed to providing energy solutions that improve quality of life while also reducing environmental impact through improved efficiency. The heating and air conditioning products manufactured at the DTTP are some of the most innovative and energy efficient products on the market today – producing a more even temperature and offering as much as a 30% reduction in energy use compared to standard AC systems, all with a considerably smaller footprint.

As someone who spends a great deal of time thinking about the pathways to solving the global dual challenge of more energy with fewer emissions, much of my time is spent learning about innovations on the supply side of energy. It is exciting to learn that there is just as much innovation happening on the demand side of energy – and to see it happening right here in Houston.

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This article was written by Jane Stricker, executive director and senior vice president of theGreater Houston Partnership's Houston Energy Transition Initiative and originally ran on the HETI blog. HETI exists to support Houston's future as an energy leader. For more information about the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, EnergyCapitalHTX's presenting sponsor, visit htxenergytransition.org.

To learn more about Daikin’s entire line of innovative heating and air conditioning products and how they are Perfecting the Air, visit the Daikin global website.

From virtual to reality: This Houston extended reality CEO weighs in on energy transition applications

Q&A

Founded in 2023, MadXR is a Houston-based Extended Reality startup. The innovative company specializes in safety training experiences for the energy sector and beyond. From pre-built virtual reality training modules to custom developed, end-to-end XR solutions, MadXR creates interactive, lifelike virtual reality and augmented reality experiences that allow trainees to practice safety procedures in a controlled environment.

Houston Energy Transition Initiative recently connected with Miranda Palmisano, CEO of MadXR, to discuss the applications and benefits of XR—and how it can help energy companies reduce HSE risk and carbon intensity like never before.

HETI: You were at Chevron for nearly 10 years before MadXR. How did your experiences at Chevron shape your approach to starting and running your own company?

Miranda Palmisano: Prior to founding MadXR, I held many different roles at Chevron across upstream and downstream. As the Connected Worker Product Manager, I drove digital acceleration for our global field and maintenance teams in refineries, terminals, and manufacturing sites, elevating efficiency and safety. During that time, I began exploring the value case of VR across Chevron.

I formed the Extended Reality Team and shortly became the Extended Reality Product Manager. Our team began using VR to conduct safety training within a virtual environment. It allowed us to train Chevron’s workforce safer and more efficiently by providing hands-on experience without the risk of real-world errors.

HETI: What inspired you to start your own company?

MP: Extended reality is an exciting new technology, and I quickly discovered the growing need for flexible, cost-effective XR content development in relation to life-saving-action training, such as confined-space entry, lockout/tagout procedures, and working from heights. I believe that affordable and high-quality XR experiences should be accessible to all companies, regardless of budget. That’s why MadXR has transparent pricing options that range from pre-built VR training modules to turnkey teams—and we empower our customers to take full ownership of their content and assets.

HETI: How has being based in Houston helped MadXR?

MP: The network in Houston is unmatched. In the energy capital of the world, it’s much easier to access the companies we’re targeting and hire the talent we need to grow. Innovation hubs like Houston’s Ion District have given us the resources and opportunities to connect with a vast number of forward-thinking businesses.

HETI: Do you believe XR will be instrumental in helping companies reach low carbon or net zero goals?

MP: XR is poised to revolutionize the energy industry, offering unprecedented opportunities for efficiency, engagement, and environmental sustainability. Imagine donning a headset and virtually navigating a facility halfway across the globe in real-time, or preparing your entire team with comprehensive virtual training before they physically enter a site. These scenarios highlight XR’s potential to enhance operational efficiency and employee engagement significantly. Beyond the immediate benefits, XR also plays a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions by eliminating the need for unnecessary travel. This technology isn’t just about improving current processes; it’s about reimagining the future of energy industry operations in a more sustainable, efficient, and engaging way.

HETI: MadXR will be celebrating its first anniversary in April. Can you tell us more about your vision for the future and what you’re focused on in 2024?

MP: In 2023, we were focused on ramping up and generating awareness. This year, we’re dedicated to expanding our reach and impact. We plan to incorporate AI into our learning modules and XR development to make them even more informational and interactive.

While our primary focus is on energy, we’re exploring how we can extend XR training to other industries, including automotive, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals.

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This article originally ran on the Greater Houston Partnership's Houston Energy Transition Initiative blog. HETI exists to support Houston's future as an energy leader. For more information about the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, EnergyCapitalHTX's presenting sponsor, visit htxenergytransition.org.

To learn more about MadXR’s mission and XR training modules, visit MadXR.

Recently, two HETI members announced acquisition and investment into carbon capture businesses. Photo via htxenergytransition.org

2 Houston energy leaders bet on carbon capture with recent acquisitions

the view from heti

CCUS will play a pivotal role in the global energy transition by decarbonizing carbon-intensive industries, including energy, chemicals, cement, and steel. CCUS is one of the few proven technologies to significantly lower net emissions. However, the unique nature of decarbonization presents many complex challenges. With greater funding and growing policy support, the widespread adoption of CCUS technologies is becoming more technically feasible and economically viable than ever before.

Houston, with its existing CCUS infrastructure, large concentration of CCUS expertise, and high storage capacity, is the ideal location to deploy and derisk CCUS projects at unprecedented speed and scale. Recently, two HETI members announced acquisition and investment into carbon capture businesses.

SLB + Aker Carbon Capture (ACC)

SLB, a pioneer in carbon capture technologies, announced an agreement to acquire major ownership in Aker Carbon Capture (ACC), a pure-play carbon capture company. The move combines SLB’s established CCUS business with ACC’s innovative CCUS technology to support accelerated industrial decarbonization at scale.

“For CCUS to have the expected impact on supporting global net-zero ambitions, it will need to scale up 100-200 times in less than three decades,” said Olivier Le Peuch, chief executive officer, SLB. “Crucial to this scale-up is the ability to lower capture costs, which often represent as much as 50-70% of the total spend of a CCUS project. We are excited to create this business with ACC to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture technologies that will shift the economics of carbon capture across high-emitting industrial sectors.”

Chevron New Energies + ION Clean Energy

Chevron New Energies, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc., announced a lead investment in ION Clean Energy (ION), which provides post-combustion point-source capture technology through its third-generation ICE-31 liquid amine system. This investment expands and complements Chevron’s growing portfolio of CCUS technologies.

“ION’s solvent technology, combined with Chevron’s assets and capabilities, has the potential to reach numerous emitters and support our ambitions of a lower carbon future,” said Chris Powers, vice president of CCUS & Emerging, Chevron New Energies. “We believe collaborations like this are essential to our efforts to grow carbon capture on a global scale.”

“This investment from Chevron is a huge testament to the hard work of our team and the potential of our technology,” said ION founder and executive chairman Buz Brown. “We appreciate their collaboration and with their investment we expect to accelerate commercial deployment of our technology so that we can realize the kind of wide-ranging commercial and environmental impact we’ve long envisioned.”

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This article originally ran on the Greater Houston Partnership's Houston Energy Transition Initiative blog. HETI exists to support Houston's future as an energy leader. For more information about the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, EnergyCapitalHTX's presenting sponsor, visit htxenergytransition.org.

The Climate Equity Report was developed to help foster positive, two-way communication and engagement between Houston-area energy companies and the communities they impact. Photo via Getty Images

Key takeaways from HETI's Climate Equity Report

The view from heti

The mission of the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) is to drive sustainable and equitable economic growth for an energy-abundant, low-carbon future in the greater Houston region.

Community engagement will play a key role in ensuring the environmental and economic benefits of the energy transition flow to all members of Greater Houston. This requires a shared understanding of concerns, values, and goals.

“As we make this transition to a lower-carbon energy future, we’re doing it in a way that creates economic opportunity for all Houstonians,” said Jane Stricker, Senior Vice President, Energy Transition and Executive Director of HETI. “When we think about what role community plays in that work, HETI is supported by industry leaders and a community advisory board to ensure that as this work moves forward, it moves forward in a way that benefits everyone.”

HETI recently collaborated with the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), Sallie Greenberg Consulting (SGC), energy companies with a presence in the region, and impacted community organization stakeholders and leaders to develop a baseline understanding of current corporate climate action, community needs, and preferred methods of engagement.

“We engaged HARC and SGC to help us to explore the intersection of the energy transition and community engagement,” said Stricker. “They helped us create a collaborative framework to support both companies and communities in advancing solutions for an equitable energy transition. The team has done a truly outstanding job to develop this report and framework.”

The Climate Equity Report, which includes the Framework for an Equitable Energy Transition and the Community Engagement Toolkit for an Equitable Energy Transition, was developed to help foster positive, two-way communication and engagement between Houston-area energy companies and the communities they impact. The Framework and Toolkit are based on in-depth research and interviews — with the aim of bridging the gap between corporate climate action, community engagement, and the federal government’s approach to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

“We have the opportunity to reassess how we approach these very important issues,” said John Hall, President and CEO of HARC. “Community members are not just interested in talking and becoming acquainted with the industry — they want to engage in constructive dialogue with the aim of delivering meaningful benefits that will improve the quality of their lives and those of their neighbors.”

“What I see for the first time in the 25 years that I’ve been working in this space is that we have a significant opportunity—right now—to change how we work in communities, how we work with communities, and how we can enter in a partnership to be able to drive equitable energy transition activities forward,” said Dr. Sallie Greenberg, Scientist, Strategic Advisor, and Engagement Specialist at Sallie Greenberg Consulting.

Findings from the Climate Equity Report highlight best practices and strategies to improve relationships, build trust, and address concerns. Ten key findings include:

  • Basic needs
    Helping the community address basic needs and reduce existing risks can reduce barriers to participation and improve community member engagement around the energy transition.
  • Equity considerations
    Equity considerations are growing increasingly important. Communities are looking for authentic processes that include community input on the highest-priority challenges.
  • Two-way engagement
    Successful two-way engagement requires information to flow in both directions. Authentic, targeted community engagement will be a key enabler of climate equity and decarbonization in Houston.
  • Transparency
    As energy companies seek to broaden engagement efforts, transparency is key. Project information must be as transparent and available as possible.
  • Trust flow
    There is a gap between company and community perceptions of engagement largely based on a “trust deficit” that will take time to address.
  • Engagement frequency
    Engagement alone isn’t enough. Consistent, frequent, organic engagement is required to build trust and overcome the “trust deficit” between energy companies and communities.
  • Accountability
    Impacts can be tangible and intangible. Community engagement work must be evaluated using a data-driven approach that measures how engagement activities address inequalities and benefit impacted groups.
  • Shifting priorities
    The type of engagement the community and the federal government wants and expects has changed. Companies must address this change to ensure community needs are acknowledged and met.
  • Stakeholder identification
    Not all stakeholders have the same voice or level of influence. Truly equitable engagement requires the inclusion of marginalized groups, especially those in frontline communities.
  • Program evaluation
    The evaluation process helps companies determine if engagement goals are being met. This includes conducting observations, surveys, and interviews throughout the evaluation process before sharing results with stakeholders and making program improvements based on the collected information.

Read the full report here. Watch the Connect on Climate Equity webinar.

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This article originally ran on the Greater Houston Partnership's Houston Energy Transition Initiative blog. HETI exists to support Houston's future as an energy leader. For more information about the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, EnergyCapitalHTX's presenting sponsor, visit htxenergytransition.org.

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Houston renewables developer powers two new California solar parks

now open

EDP Renewables North America LLC, a Houston-based developer, owner, and operator of renewable energy projects, has unveiled a solar energy park in California whose customers are Houston-based Shell Energy North America and the Eureka, California-based Redwood Coast Energy Authority.

Sandrini I & II Solar Energy Park, located near Bakersfield, is capable of supplying 300 megawatts of power. The park was completed in two phases.

“Sandrini I & II represent EDP Renewables’ continued commitment to investing in California and are a direct contribution to California's admirable target of achieving 100 percent clean electricity by 2045,” says Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP. “The Golden State is known for its leadership in solar energy, and EDP Renewables is elated to meet the growing demand for reliable clean energy sources.”

Shell signed a 15-year deal to buy power from the 200-megawatt Sandrini I, and the Redwood Coast Energy Authority signed a 15-year deal to buy power from the 100-megawatt Sandrini II.

In July, EDP announced the opening of the 210-megawatt Pearl River Solar Park in Mississippi. Earlier in 2024, the company debuted the 175-megawatt Crooked Lake Solar Park in Arkansas and the 74-megawatt Misenheimer Solar Park in North Carolina. Click here to read more.

Houston climatech incubator names new CFO

onboarding

Greentown Labs, a climatech incubator with locations in Houston and Somerville, Massachusetts, has hired Naheed Malik as its chief financial officer. In her new role, she oversees finance, accounting and human resources.

Malik previously worked at American Tower Corp., an owner of wireless communication towers. During her 12-year tenure there, she was vice president of financial planning and analysis, and vice president of corporate finance.

Before American Tower, Malik led financial planning and analysis at Wolters Kluwer Health, and was a management consultant at Kearney and an audit CPA at EY.

Kevin Dutt, Greentown’s interim CEO, says in a news release that Malik’s “deep expertise will be a boon for Greentown as we seek to serve even more climatech startups in our home states of Massachusetts and Texas, and beyond.”

“I am delighted to join Greentown at such an exciting time in its organizational growth,” Malik says. “As a nonprofit that’s deeply dedicated to its mission of supporting climatech innovation, Greentown is poised to build on its impressive track record and expand its impact in the years to come.”

Greentown bills itself as North America’s largest incubator for climatech startups. Today, it’s home to more than 200 startups. Since its founding in 2011, Greentown has nurtured more than 575 startups that have raised over $8.2 billion in funding.

Last year, Greentown’s CEO and president Kevin Knobloch announced that he would be stepping down in July 2024, after less than a year in the role. The incubator. About a month before the announcement, Knobloch reported that Greentown would reduce its staff by 30 percent, eliminating roles in Boston and Houston. He noted changes in leadership, growth of the team and adjustments following the pandemic.

Greentown plans to announce its new permanent CEO by the end of the month.

Being prepared: Has the Texas grid been adequately winterized?

Winter in Texas

Houstonians may feel anxious as the city and state brace for additional freezing temperatures this winter. Every year since 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, Texans wonder whether the grid will keep them safe in the face of another winter weather event. The record-breaking cold temperatures of Uri exposed a crucial vulnerability in the state’s power and water infrastructure.

According to ERCOT’s 6-day supply and demand forecast from January 3, 2025, it expected plenty of generation capacity to meet the needs of Texans during the most recent period of colder weather. So why did the grid fail so spectacularly in 2021?

  1. Demand for electricity surged as millions of people tried to heat their homes.
  2. ERCOT was simply not prepared despite previous winter storms of similar intensity to offer lessons in similarities.
  3. The state was highly dependent on un-winterized natural gas power plants for electricity.
  4. The Texas grid is isolated from other states.
  5. Failures of communication and coordination between ERCOT, state officials, utility companies, gas suppliers, electricity providers, and power plants contributed to the devastating outages.

The domino effect resulted in power outages for millions of Texans, the deaths of hundreds of Texans, billions of dollars in damages, with some households going nearly a week without heat, power, and water. This catastrophe highlighted the need for swift and sweeping upgrades and protections against future extreme weather events.

Texas State Legislature Responds

Texas lawmakers proactively introduced and passed legislation aimed at upgrading the state’s power infrastructure and preventing repeated failures within weeks of the storm. Senate Bill 3 (SB3) measures included:

  • Requirements to weatherize gas supply chain and pipeline facilities that sell electric energy within ERCOT.
  • The ability to impose penalties of up to $1 million for violation of these requirements.
  • Requirement for ERCOT to procure new power sources to ensure grid reliability during extreme heat and extreme cold.
  • Designation of specific natural gas facilities that are critical for power delivery during energy emergencies.
  • Development of an alert system that is to be activated when supply may not be able to meet demand.
  • Requirement for the Public Utility Commission of Texas, or PUCT, to establish an emergency wholesale electricity pricing program.

Texas Weatherization by Natural Gas Plants

In a Railroad Commission of Texas document published May 2024 and geared to gas supply chain and pipeline facilities, dozens of solutions were outlined with weatherization best practices and approaches in an effort to prevent another climate-affected crisis from severe winter weather.

Some solutions included:

  • Installation of insulation on critical components of a facility.
  • Construction of permanent or temporary windbreaks, housing, or barriers around critical equipment to reduce the impact of windchill.
  • Guidelines for the removal of ice and snow from critical equipment.
  • Instructions for the use of temporary heat systems on localized freezing problems like heating blankets, catalytic heaters, or fuel line heaters.

According to Daniel Cohan, professor of environmental engineering at Rice University, power plants across Texas have installed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of weatherization upgrades to their facilities. In ERCOT’s January 2022 winterization report, it stated that 321 out of 324 electricity generation units and transmission facilities fully passed the new regulations.

Is the Texas Grid Adequately Winterized?

Utilities, power generators, ERCOT, and the PUCT have all made changes to their operations and facilities since 2021 to be better prepared for extreme winter weather. Are these changes enough? Has the Texas grid officially been winterized?

This season, as winter weather tests Texans, residents may potentially experience localized outages. When tree branches cannot support the weight of the ice, they can snap and knock out power lines to neighborhoods across the state. In the instance of a downed power line, we must rely on regional utilities to act quickly to restore power.

The specific legislation enacted by the Texas state government in response to the 2021 disaster addressed to the relevant parties ensures that they have done their part to winterize the Texas grid.

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Sam Luna is director at BKV Energy, where he oversees brand and go-to-market strategy, customer experience, marketing execution, and more.

This article first appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.com.

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