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Houston energy transition events not to miss, expert commentary on climate crisis, and more things to know

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Houston energy transition folks — here's what to know to start your week. Photo via Getty Images

Editor's note: Start your week off strong with three quick things to catch up on in Houston's energy transition: a roundup of events not to miss, a new Houston energy executive to know, and more.

Events not to miss

Put these Houston-area energy-related events on your calendar.

    • Future of Energy Summit is Tuesday, February 6, at AC Hotel by Marriott Houston Downtown. Register.
    • The 2024 NAPE Summit is Wednesday, February 7, to Friday, February 9, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. It's the energy industry’s marketplace for the buying, selling and trading of prospects and producing properties. Register.
    • The De Lange Conference, taking place February 9 and 10 at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, is centered around the theme “Brave New Worlds: Who Decides? Research, Risk and Responsibility” this year. Register.
    • The Future of Energy Across the Americas: Helping Lawyers Predict and Adapt — the 2024 Houston Energy Conference — is February 27 to March 1. Register.
    • CERAWeek 2024 is Monday, March 18, to Friday, March 22, in the George R. Brown Convention Center. Register.

    ​Commentary: Chris Wood, co-founder of Moonshot Compost, on loving the climate apocalypse​

    Chris Wood knows that the last thing anyone wants to be reminded of in 2024 is the impending climate apocalypse, but, as he writes in his guest column, "There is a scientific consensus that the world climate is trending towards uninhabitable for many species, including humans, due in large part to results of human activity."

    He cites a report that 93 percent “believe that climate change poses a serious and imminent threat to the planet.”

    "Until recently reviewing this report, I was unaware that 93 percent of any of us could agree on anything," he writes. "It got me thinking, how much of our problem today is based on misunderstanding both the nature of the problem and the solution?" Read more.

    New hire: Bracewell names new partner to advise clients on energy transition tax incentives

    Bracewell announced that Jennifer Speck has joined the firm's tax department as a partner in the Houston office. Speck will advise clients on energy transition tax incentives.

    Some of her experiences include onshore and offshore wind, solar, carbon capture, clean hydrogen and clean fuel projects. She recently served as senior manager of tax and regulatory compliance at Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC. She graduated in 2010 with a B.F.A. in mental health psychology from Northeastern State University, and received her J.D., with honors, from The University of Tulsa College of Law in 2012. Read more.

    Bracewell announced that Jennifer Speck has joined the firm's tax department as a partner in the Houston office. Photo via LinkedIn

    Energy-focused law firm names new Houston partner

    new hire

    A law and government relations firm serving energy, infrastructure, finance, and technology industries has named a new Houston partner.

    Bracewell announced that Jennifer Speck has joined the firm's tax department as a partner in the Houston office. Speck will advise clients on energy transition tax incentives.

    Some of her experiences include onshore and offshore wind, solar, carbon capture, clean hydrogen and clean fuel projects. She recently served as senior manager of tax and regulatory compliance at Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC. She graduated in 2010 with a B.F.A. in mental health psychology from Northeastern State University, and received her J.D., with honors, from The University of Tulsa College of Law in 2012.

    "Jenny has significant experience in critical tax credits for carbon capture and other energy transition projects," Elizabeth L. McGinley, chair of Bracewell's tax department, says in a news release. "Her knowledge of these, and other, tax incentives strengthens our ability to help clients take full advantage of the tax benefits available under the Inflation Reduction Act."

    Nationally recognized, Bracewell's tax department is known for its experience involving tax matters related to the energy industry. Bracewell has also led the development of one of the country's largest multidisciplinary energy transition legal teams.

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    HETI members to take the stage at CERAWeek 2026 in Houston

    The View from HETI

    CERAWeek returns to Houston March 23–27, convening global industry leaders to explore the trends shaping the future of energy.

    The Greater Houston Partnership’s Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) members will play a key role in this year’s program, contributing to discussions spanning digital innovation, power systems, decarbonization and workforce. Below are the sessions featuring HETI members throughout the week:

    AI in Energy: Managing the Transformation
    Monday, March 23 | 9:30-10:00 a.m.
    Speakers: Hector Rocha, Accenture; Rebecca Hofmann, Blockchain For Energy; Paul Markwell, S&P Global

    Scaling Innovation: Building the Ecosystem for the Next Energy Breakthroughs
    Monday, March 23 | 10:30-11:10 a.m.
    Speakers: Graham Gordon, Accenture; Carolyn Seto, S&P Global; Bernie Bulkin, Global Energy Infrastructure Plc; Georgina Campbell Flatter, Greentown Labs
    Examines how partnerships across capital, policy and infrastructure can accelerate commercialization and scaling of breakthrough energy technologies.

    Oil Strategies for a World in Transition
    Monday, March 23 | 11:15-11:55 a.m.
    Speakers: Olivier Le Peuch, SLB; Anders Opedal, Equinor; Vicki Hollub, Occidental; Atul Arya, S&P Global
    Discusses how producers are adapting portfolio strategies to balance resilience, demand outlooks and transition pressures.

    Gas: Growing Markets and New Players
    Monday, March 23 | 12:00-12:40 p.m.
    Speakers: Liz Westcott, Woodside Energy; Toby Rice, EQT Corporation; Shankari Srinivasan, S&P Global; Ryosuke Tsugaru, JERA CO., INC.

    Advances in Exploration Technologies for Oil & Gas and Mining
    Monday, March 23 | 1:30-2:10 p.m.
    Speakers: Amy Callahan, Accenture; Hussein Shel, Amazon Web Services; Oscar Abbink, S&P Global
    Highlights sensing, imaging and AI tools improving discovery efficiency and sustainability in exploration.

    AI in Action: From Pilot to Profit
    Monday, March 23 | 1:30-2:00 p.m.
    Speakers: Shridevi Bale, Accenture; Paul Gruenwald, S&P Global
    Shares lessons from scaling AI deployments beyond pilots into measurable operational value.

    Power Networks: Collaborating to Meet Demand
    Monday, March 23 | 2:15-2:55 p.m.
    Speakers: Lawrence Coben, NRG Energy; Jim Murphy, Invenergy; Eduard Sala de Vedruna, S&P Global
    Examines grid readiness and collaboration models needed to manage surging electricity demand.

    New Phase of Gas: From Regional Security to Global Market Integration
    Monday, March 23 | 3:00-3:40 p.m.
    Speakers: Cederic Cremers, Shell; Balaji Krishnamurthy, Chevron; Kevin Gallagher, Santos; Mansoor Al Hamed, Mubadala Energy; Dave Ernsberger, S&P Global
    Discusses LNG’s evolving role in global integration, energy security and future pricing structures.

    Transforming Upstream: Pathways to Scaling New Technologies
    Monday, March 23 | 7:00-8:30 p.m.
    Speakers: Rami El Debs, Accenture; Trey Lowe, Devon Energy; Bader Al-Attar, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation
    Explores adoption of advanced digital and automation technologies in upstream operations.

    Leadership Dialogue
    Tuesday, March 24 | 9:00-9:20 a.m.
    Speakers: Wael Sawan, Shell; Daniel Yergin, S&P Global

    One Grid, One ASEAN: Building a Shared Clean Energy Future
    Tuesday, March 24 | 10:30-11:10 a.m.
    Speakers: Akihiro Ondo, Mitsubishi Power; Gauri Jauhar, S&P Global

    Harmonizing Carbon Accounting: Charting a Path Forward
    Tuesday, March 24 | 10:40-11:20 a.m.
    Speakers: Edward Stones, Dow; Sasha Mackler, ExxonMobil; Musaab Al-Mulla, Saudi Aramco; Kevin Birn, S&P Global
    Examines efforts to standardize emissions accounting to improve comparability and market transparency.

    Global Exploration Revival: Lessons and New Strategies
    Tuesday, March 24 | 11:30-12:10 p.m.
    Speakers: John Ardill, ExxonMobil; Dan Pratt, S&P Global; Guido Brusco, Eni

    How Will AI Change the Game for Energy Profitability?
    Tuesday, March 24 | 12:20-1:00 p.m.
    Speakers: Rakesh Jaggi, SLB; Jim Masso, Honeywell; Atul Arya, S&P Global; Darryl Willis, Microsoft; Renata Baruzzi, Petrobras
    Examines how AI and cloud technologies could reshape cost structures and performance across energy systems.

    Balancing Act: Price, Reliability and the Global Call on U.S. Energy
    Tuesday, March 24 | 2:35-3:15 p.m.
    Speakers: Stéphane Michel, TotalEnergies; Eleonor Kramarz, S&P Global; Matt Schatzman, NextDecade; Brian Falik, Mercuria Energy America
    Explores tensions between domestic supply reliability and global export opportunities.

    The Future of Upstream: Matching Capital Discipline with Opportunity
    Tuesday, March 24 | 2:35-3:15 p.m.
    Speakers: Richard Jackson, Occidental; Philippe Mathieu, Equinor; Niloufar Molavi, PwC; Bob Fryklund, S&P Global

    Transforming the Energy Industry: How Will Technology Change Business Models?
    Tuesday, March 24 | 2:35- 3:15 p.m.
    Speakers: Ryder Booth, Chevron; Peter Terwiesch, ABB; Atul Arya, S&P Global
    Examines digital transformation and new partnership models reshaping energy value chains.

    Sustainable Solutions: Partnership, Technology and Innovative Paths
    Tuesday, March 24 | 3:25-4:05 p.m.
    Speakers: Barry Engle, ExxonMobil; Luis Cabra, Repsol; Leanne Todd, S&P Global; Roeland Baan, Topsoe
    Highlights collaborative approaches to deploying scalable decarbonization solutions.

    The Future of Refining: Resilience, Innovation and Low-Carbon Pathways
    Tuesday, March 24 | 3:25-4:05 p.m.
    Speakers: Amber Russell, bp; Kurt Barrow, S&P Global; Martijn van Koten, OMV; Atsuhiko Hirano, Idemitsu; Magnus Heimburg, VAROPreem
    Explores how refining and supply chains are adapting to policy, demand and emissions pressures.

    Reinventing Business Strategies: Thriving in the New Energy Economy
    Tuesday, March 24 | 4:15-4:55 p.m.
    Speakers: Muqsit Ashraf, Accenture; Philippe Frangules, S&P Global; Sushil Purohit, Gentari Sdn Bhd
    Discusses evolving strategies integrating new technologies and markets.

    Creating AI-Ready Organizations
    Tuesday, March 24 | 4:20-5:05 p.m.
    Speakers: David Rabley, Accenture; Gwenaelle Avice-Huet, Schneider Electric; Dave Ernsberger, S&P Global; Rob Schapiro, Microsoft; Geoffrey Parker, Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society at Dartmouth
    Focuses on workforce, leadership and infrastructure required for effective AI adoption.

    Meeting Power Demand for Data Centers
    Wednesday, March 25 | 10:30-11:20 a.m.
    Speakers: Karim Amin, Siemens Energy; Ed Baine, Dominion Energy; Douglas Giuffre, S&P Global; Ingmar Ritzenhofen, RWE Supply & Trading and RWE Clean Energy; Amanda Peterson Corio, Google; Jim Shield, Invenergy
    Discusses strategies for aligning infrastructure, policy and markets to meet data-center load growth.

    Where Agentic AI Is Now and What Comes Next
    Wednesday, March 25 | 10:30-11:00 a.m.
    Speakers: Tathagata Basu, Honeywell; Ben Wilson, Amazon Web Services, Bhavesh Dayalji, S&P Global

    People Power: Strategic Human Capital in a New Energy Era
    Wednesday, March 25 | 10:40-11:20 a.m.
    Speakers: Jessica Van Singel, Accenture
    Examines workforce strategy alignment with innovation and competitiveness goals.

    Global Energy Pathways in the Age of Abundance
    Wednesday, March 25 | 11:45-12:35 p.m.
    Speakers: Gareth Ramsay, bp; Atul Arya, S&P Global; Olu Verheijen, Office of the President of the Federal Public of Nigeria

    Agentic AI: Embracing Autonomy
    Thursday, March 26 | 10:00-10:30 a.m.
    Speakers: Trygve Randen, SLB; Uwa Airhiavbere, Microsoft; Eric Hanselman, S&P Global
    Examines governance and reliability considerations as autonomous AI systems expand in energy.

    The Changing Mix of U.S. Power Generation: Gas, Renewables, Coal, Nuclear and Beyond
    Thursday, March 26 | 10:30-11:20 a.m.
    Speakers: Bill Newsom, Mitsubishi Power; Douglas Giuffre, S&P Global; John-Paul Jones, Urenco Enrichment Company; Leslie Duke, Burns & McDonnell; Mike DeBock, NextEra Energy Resources
    Explores how policy and technology shifts are reshaping generation portfolios.

    Large Load Growth: Reshaping the Future of Power
    Thursday, March 26 | 11:10-11:50 a.m.
    Speakers: Robert Gaudette, NRG Energy; Petter Skantze, NextEra Energy Resources; Douglas Giuffre, S&P Global; Peter Lake, National Energy Dominance Council
    Discusses planning and market responses to large-scale electricity demand.

    Interconnecting America: The Grid’s Last Mile
    Thursday, March 26 | 12:00-12:40 p.m.
    Speakers: Tim Holt, Siemens Energy; Philippe Frangules, S&P Global; David Brast, TC Energy; David Rosner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

    AI: Driving Performance in the Power Sector
    Thursday, March 26 | 3:05-3:45 p.m.
    Speakers: Dak Liyanearachchi, NRG Energy; Hanna Grene, Microsoft; Douglas Giuffre, S&P Global
    Explores AI use cases improving grid management and forecasting.

    Digital Twins: The AI Enabler for Multiple Sectors
    Thursday, March 26 | 4:30-5:10 p.m.
    Speakers: Sacha Abinader, Accenture; Oscar Abbink, S&P Global
    Examines digital twins enabling predictive maintenance and AI training environments.

    View the full CERAWeek agenda.

    ———

    This article originally appeared 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.

    Houston data center capacity could more than double by 2028, CBRE report says

    data analysis

    The Houston market could more than double its data center capacity by the end of 2028, a new report indicates.

    The report, published by commercial real estate services provider CBRE, says greater demand for data center capacity in the Houston area is being fueled by energy companies, along with large-scale cloud services and AI-driven tenants.

    In the second half of 2025, the Houston market had 154 megawatts of data center capacity, which was on par with capacity in the second half of 2024. Another 28.5 megawatts of capacity was under construction during that period.

    “Multiple providers are advancing new builds and redevelopments, including significant power upgrades to recently purchased buildings, underscoring long-term confidence even as the market works through elevated vacancy and uneven absorption,” CBRE says of Houston’s data center presence.

    One project alone promises to significantly boost the Houston market’s data center capacity. Data center developer Serverfarm plans to use part of a $3 billion credit facility to build a 250-acre, AI-ready data center campus near Houston with a potential capacity of more than 500 megawatts. The Houston campus and two other Serverfarm projects are already leased to unidentified tenants, according to CoStar.

    A 60-megawatt, AI-ready Serverfarm data center is under construction in Houston. The $137 million, 438,000-square-foot project, located near the former headquarters of computer manufacturer Compaq, is supposed to be completed in the third quarter of 2027.

    Data Center Map identifies 59 data centers in the Houston area managed by 36 operators, including DataBank, Data Foundry, Digital Realty, IBM, Logix Fiber Networks, Lumen and TRG Datacenters. That compares with more than 180 data centers in Dallas-Fort Worth, more than 50 in the San Antonio area and 40 in the Austin area.

    Texas is home to more than 400 data centers, according to Data Center Map.

    In November, Google said it’s investing $40 billion to build AI data centers in West Texas and the Texas Panhandle.

    “This is a Texas-sized investment in the future of our great state,” Gov. Greg Abbott said when Google’s commitment was announced. “Texas is the epicenter of AI development, where companies can pair innovation with expanding energy. Google's $40 billion investment makes Texas Google's largest investment in any state in the country and supports energy efficiency and workforce development in our state.”

    Houston energy transition ecosystem rebrands as 'Energytech Cypher'

    new look

    Houston-based Energytech Nexus has rebranded.

    The cleantech founders community will now be known as Energytech Cypher. Organizers say the new name was inspired by the Arabic roots of the word cypher, ṣifr, which is also the root of the word zero.

    "A cypher is a key that unlocks what's hidden," Nada Ahmed, co-founder and chief revenue officer of Energytech Cypher, said in a news release. "And zero? Zero is where every transformation begins, the leap from 0 to 1, from idea to reality, from potential to power. We decode the energy transition by connecting the right founders, the right capital, and the right corporate partners at the right time, because the most important journey in energy is the one that takes you from nothing to something."

    Energytech Nexus has rebranded to Energytech Cypher.

    Co-founder and CEO Jason Ethier says that the name change better reflects the organization's mission.

    "The energy transition doesn't have a technology problem. It has a connection problem," Ehtier added in the release. "The right founders exist. The right investors exist. The right partners exist. What's been missing is the infrastructure to bring them together—to decode the complexity, remove the friction, and make sure the best technologies find the markets that need them. That's what this community has always done. Energytech Cypher is the name that finally says it."

    Energytech Cypher, previously known as Energytech Nexus, was first launched in 2023 and has grown from a podcast to a 130-member ecosystem. It has supported startups including Capwell Services, Resollant, Syzygy Plasmonics, Hertha Metals, Solidec and many others.

    It is known for its flagship programs like the Pilotathon, which connects founders with industry partners for pilot opportunities. The event debuted in 2024.

    Energytech Cypher also launched its COPILOT Accelerator last year. The accelerator partners with Browning the Green Space, a nonprofit that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the clean energy and climatech sectors. The inaugural cohort included two Houston-based startups and 12 others from around the U.S.

    It also hosts programs like Liftoff, Energy Tech Market, lunch and learns, CEO roundtables, investor workshops and international partnership initiatives.

    Last year, Energytech Cypher also announced a new strategic ecosystem partnership with Greentown Labs, aimed at accelerating growth for clean energy startups. It also named its global founding partners, including Houston-based operations such as Chevron Technology Ventures, Collide, Oxy Technology Ventures, and others from around the world.

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