University of Houston gets new funding, events not to miss, and more things to know this week. Photo via UH.edu

Editor's note: It's a new week — start it strong with three quick things to know in Houston's energy transition ecosystem. Baker Hughes makes headlines, a new energy innovation leader has been named, and three events to add to your August calendar.

Baker Hughes's energy transition moves

Last week, if you were reading EnergyCapital carefully, you may have noticed two different stories from Houston-based Baker Hughes.

The Baker Hughes Foundation granted $100,000 to the University of Houston Energy Transition Institute. The funding will work towards the ETI’s goals to support workforce development programs, and environmental justice research. UH's ETI launched a year ago through a $10 million grant from Shell USA Inc. and Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc. Read more.

Also last week, Baker Hughes announced that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Virginia-based Avports. The agreement is "to develop, implement and operate onsite microgrid solutions for the airport industry," according to a news release from Baker Hughes, with a goal of reducing emissions and work toward a future with zero-emission infrastructure, including buildings, vehicles, etc.

"Baker Hughes' commitment to emissions reductions has allowed us to develop and successfully deploy low-carbon and hydrogen technologies to advance the energy transition in many industries," Bob Perez, vice president of project development at Baker Hughes, says in a statement. "The opportunity to bring these solutions to airports, in collaboration with Avports' proven track record in airport management, is very promising as the increasing needs and demands of these infrastructures must be more resilient, efficient and cost-effective." Read more.

Person to know: Timmeko Moore Love

Greentown Labs has named its inaugural Greentown Houston general manager. The climatetech incubator named Timmeko Moore Love to the role last week.

“Greentown Labs is committed to ensuring founders’ success and is an agent of action in the fight against climate change,” says Love in the release. “I am excited to continue my service to the Greater Houston climate innovation ecosystem through this esteemed platform, and partner internally and externally to evolve and expand our services and programs.” Read more.

Upcoming events to put on your radar

It's a slow week for energy transition events, but here are three later this month you need to know about.

  • August 22-23 — SPE Energy Transition Symposium's goal is to deliver a prominent and dedicated energy transition event by collecting and disseminating the knowledge from industry leaders, technical experts, academicians, practitioners, financial community and ESG leaders, and together through collaboration, advance the conversations, technology and exchanges that will move our industry forward.
  • August 28-30 — Industrial IMMERSIVE Week attracts the most industrial, energy, and engineering tech professionals making investment, strategy and tactical decisions, or building, scaling and executing pioneering XR/3D/Simulations, digital twin, reality capture, edge /spatial computing, AI/ML, connected workforce & IIoT projects within their enterprise.
  • August 30-31 — Carbon & ESG Strategies Conference, presented by Hart Energy, will highlight carbon capture and storage projects and technologies onshore and offshore, direct air capture, enhanced oil recovery, responsibly sourced gas, renewable natural gas, federal funding challenges and insurance issues, ESG initiatives, regulatory concerns and much more.

The University of Houston is hosting an open house to introduce its Seismic Data Center. Photo courtesy of UH

Can’t-miss Houston energy event: UH-DGH Center for Hydrocarbon Exploration Symposium

where to be

The University of Houston is hosting a morning full of thought leadership and networking in partnership with the Directorate General Hydrocarbon (DGH), the technical arm of the Indian Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, to showcase the new UH Seismic Data Center.

When: Friday, July 7, from 9 am to noon.

Where: UH Technology Bridge, Building 9, Room 135. 5000 Gulf Freeway Houston, TX 77204

Who: Industry and academic leaders

Learn more and register.

The UH Seismic Data Center, which was announced earlier this year, was established via a five-year agreement between UH and DGH. The center aims to generate reliable information on the energy industry — including seismic, well, reservoir and production data.

“This MoU is essentially an agreement to spur collaboration and combine the strengths of the involved parties for greater good,” Ramanan Krishnamoorti, vice president of energy and innovation at UH, said in a February news release announcing the partnership. “UH is in Houston, the Energy Capital of the World and the DGH has this wonderful wealth of information in its National Data Repository.

"By working together, we will maximize the potential of this important data and it will serve as an excellent research foundation,” he continued.

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Greentown to add new Houston AI lab from latest Houston partner

AI partnership

Greentown Labs has partnered with Shoreless to launch an AI lab within its Houston climatetech incubator.

"Climatetech and energy startups are transforming industries, and AI is a critical tool in that journey," Lawson Gow, Greentown's Head of Houston, said in a news release. "We're excited to bring this new offering to our entrepreneurs and corporate partners to enhance the way they think about reducing costs and emissions across the value chain."

Shoreless, a Houston-based company that enables AI adoption for enterprise systems, will support startups developing solutions for supply-chain optimization and decarbonization. They will offer Greentown members climate sprint sessions that will deliver AI-driven insights to assist companies in reducing Scope 3 emissions, driving new revenue streams and lowering expenses. Additionally, the lab will help companies test their ideas before attempting to scale them globally.

"The future of climatetech is intertwined with the future of AI," Ken Myers, Founder and CEO of Shoreless, said in a news release."By launching this AI lab with Greentown Labs, we are creating a collaborative ecosystem where innovation can flourish. Our agentic AI is designed to help companies make a real difference, and we are excited to see the groundbreaking solutions that will emerge from this partnership."

Greentown and Shoreless will collaborate on workshops that address industry needs for technical teams, and Shoreless will also work to provide engagement opportunities and tailored workshops for Greentown’s startups and residents. Interested companies can inquire here.

Recently, Greentown Labs also partnered with Los Angeles-based software development firm Nominal to launch the new Industrial Center of Excellence at Greentown's Houston incubator. It also announced a partnership with Houston-based EnergyTech Nexus, which will also open an investor lounge on-site last month. Read more here.

UH lands $8M in federal funding for fusion energy research

fusion funding

The University of Houston will receive $8 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for its work on fusion technology to help power data centers and medical work.

Venkat Selvamanickam, professor at UH’s Cullen College of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and director of the Advanced Manufacturing Institute, has been tasked to lead the research on superconducting magnets that he said will make compact fusion reactors possible.

“Beyond fusion, superconductors can transform how we deliver power to data centers, enable highly efficient motors and generators and improve electric power devices,” Selvamanickam said in a news release. “They also enable critical applications such as MRI and proton beam therapy for cancer treatment. I want society to experience the broad benefits this remarkable technology can provide.”

UH is one of 23 institutions selected to share part of $134 million from the DOE’s Fusion Energy Sciences division. The total funding is split across two initiatives: $128 million for the Fusion Innovation Research Engine (FIRE) and $6.1 million for the Innovation Network for Fusion Energy program, according to the university.

UH will partner with the FIRE Collaborative for the research, which looks to understand why superconducting magnets in fusion reactors break down and work on developing solutions to make them more resilient.

“The advantage of fusion is it’s clean and it does not require storage. Solar energy can’t be used at night, and wind energy depends on wind conditions,” Selvamanickam added in the release. “Our goal is to make fusion a truly viable energy source.”