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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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    CenterPoint's resiliency plan, Chevron starts up new site, and more trending Houston energy transition news

    what's trending

    Editor'snote: From Chevron's new deepwater project going online to two Texas companies collaborating on energy storage, these are the top headlines that resonated with EnergyCapital readers on social media and daily newsletter this week.

    CenterPoint Energy releases details of resiliency plan

    As part of the “Taking Action Now” section, more than 2,500 CenterPoint frontline workers and contractors will be taking a series of targeted actions to strengthen the grid and reduce the risk of outages. Photo via Getty Images

    To improve resiliency and reduce the risk of outages from storms or hurricanes, CenterPoint Energy announced its Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative.

    The initiative will include an “accelerated timeline to execute specific actions to strengthen electric infrastructure across Houston, and more than 40 critical actions in total to strengthen the electric grid, and improve the company's customer communications and emergency coordination before the next hurricane,” according to a news release.

    As part of the “Taking Action Now” section, more than 2,500 CenterPoint frontline workers and contractors will be taking a series of targeted actions to strengthen the grid and reduce the risk of outages before the next major storm that includes installing stronger and more storm-resilient poles, trimming or removal of vegetation from lines, and installing 300 automated devices, which CenterPoint says can help reenergize certain lines and lead to less without power. Continue reading.

    Chevron launches production at deepwater project that aims to lower carbon intensity off offshore activity

    Chevron's newest deepwater oil and natural gas production project, called the Anchor, is an all-electric facility. Photo courtesy of Chevron

    Chevron's new massive deepwater oil and natural gas project in the Gulf of Mexico is officially up and running.

    Chevron Corp., which recently announced its relocating its global headquarters to Houston, has officially started oil and natural gas production from its Anchor project in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

    The semi-submersible floating production unit features a high-pressure technology that operates at up to 20,000 psi with reservoir depths reaching 34,000 feet below sea level, Chevron reports, and has a capacity of 75,000 gross barrels of oil per day and 28 million gross cubic feet of natural gas per day. Continue reading.

    Two Texas companies combine to enhance hydrogen fueling, storage infrastructure

    Celly offers logistics, storage, and dispensing to innovative modular refueling station services. Photo via cellyh2.com

    A provider of hydrogen infrastructure solutions Celly H2 has announced its acquisition of ChemTech Energy (CNE) to continue Celly's mission of leading hydrogen fueling and storage infrastructure.

    The Willis, Texas-based company offers logistics, storage, and dispensing to innovative modular refueling station services. Montgomery’s Chemtec Energy has a 25-year legacy in the oil and gas market and specializes in modular hydrogen fueling and storage infrastructure solutions.

    "This acquisition marks a significant milestone for Celly as we continue to expand our portfolio in the renewable energy market," Founder and CEO of Celly Austin Terry says in a news release. Continue reading.

    Houston clean energy provider raises $10.8M series A

    Branch Energy aims to provide customers with clean energy at a lower cost than competitors. Photo via Getty Images

    A tech-driven retail energy provider based in Houston has secured an oversubscribed series A round of funding.

    Branch Energy raised a $10.8 million round led by climate-focused venture capital firm Prelude Ventures with co-investor Zero Infinity Partners, an infrastructure tech-focused firm. The fresh funding will go toward accelerating the company's battery management tech and build out the infrastructure of its field services.

    A vertically integrated power provider, Branch Energy aims to provide customers with demand management software and battery storage systems to ensure long-term, stable, and clean energy at a lower cost than competitors. Continue reading.

    Woodside to acquire clean ammonia project outside of Houston in  $2.4B deal

    OCI broke ground on the project in 2022. Photo via oci-global.com

    Woodside Energy has announced its acquiring a Beaumont, Texas, clean ammonia project that's slated to deliver its first ammonia by 2025 and lower carbon ammonia by 2026.

    The agreement is for Woodside to acquire 100 percent of OCI Clean Ammonia Holding and its lower carbon ammonia project in Beaumont in an all-cash deal of approximately $2.35 billion. According to Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill, the acquisition positions Woodside as an early mover in clean ammonia within the energy transition.

    “This transaction positions Woodside in the growing lower carbon ammonia market," O’Neill says in a news release. "The potential applications for lower carbon ammonia are in power generation, marine fuels and as an industrial feedstock, as it displaces higher-emitting fuels. Continue reading.

    New report maps Houston workforce development strategies as companies transition to cleaner energy

    to-do list

    The University of Houston’s Energy University latest study with UH’s Division of Energy and Innovation with stakeholders from the energy industry, academia have released findings from a collaborative white paper, titled "Workforce Development for the Future of Energy.”

    UH Energy’s workforce analysis found that the greatest workforce gains occur with an “all-of-the-above” strategy to address the global shift towards low-carbon energy solutions. This would balance electrification and increased attention to renewables with liquid fuels, biomass, hydrogen, carbon capture, utilization and storage commonly known as CCUS, and carbon dioxide removal, according to a news release.

    The authors of the paper believe this would support economic and employment growth, which would leverage workers from traditional energy sectors that may lose jobs during the transition.

    The emerging hydrogen ecosystem is expected to create about 180,000 new jobs in the greater Houston area, which will offer an average annual income of approximately $75,000. Currently, 40 percent of Houston’s employment is tied to the energy sector.

    “To sustain the Houston region’s growth, it’s important that we broaden workforce participation and opportunities,” Ramanan Krishnamoorti, vice president of energy and innovation at UH, says in a news release. “Ensuring workforce readiness for new energy jobs and making sure we include disadvantaged communities is crucial.”

    Some of the key takeaways include strategies that include partnering for success, hands-on training programs, flexible education pathways, comprehensive support services, and early and ongoing outreach initiatives.

    “The greater Houston area’s journey towards a low-carbon future is both a challenge and an opportunity,” Krishnamoorti continues. “The region’s ability to adapt and lead in this new era will depend on its commitment to collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity. By preparing its workforce, engaging its communities, and leveraging its industrial heritage, we can redefine our region and continue to thrive as a global energy leader.”

    The study was backed by federal funding from the Department of the Treasury through the State of Texas under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012.

    Houston geothermal startup selects Texas location for first energy storage facility

    major milestone

    Houston-based geothermal energy startup Sage Geosystems has teamed up with a utility provider for an energy storage facility in the San Antonio metro area.

    The three-megawatt EarthStore facility will be on land controlled by the San Miguel Electric Cooperative, which produces electricity for customers in 47 South Texas counties. The facility will be located in the town of Christine, near the cooperative’s coal-fired power plant.

    Sage says its energy storage system will be paired with solar energy to supply power for the grid operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The facility is set to open later this year.

    “Once operational, our EarthStore facility in Christine will be the first geothermal energy storage system to store potential energy deep in the earth and supply electrons to a power grid,” Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems, says in a news release.

    The facility is being designed to store geothermal energy during six- to 10-hour periods.

    “Long-duration energy storage is crucial for the ERCOT utility grid, especially with the increasing integration of intermittent wind and solar power generation,” says Craig Courter, CEO of the San Miguel Electric Cooperative.

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