ADVERTISEABOUT USSUBMIT A STORYSUBSCRIBETERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY
Visit our family of Brands

Houston researchers earn $3.3M in DOE funding to develop safer underground power line installation

going under

Researchers have secured $3.3 million in funding to develop an AI-powered subsurface sensing system aimed at improving the safety and efficiency of underground power line installation. Photo via Getty Images

Researchers from the University of Houston — along with a Hawaiian company — have received $3.3 million in funding to explore artificial intelligence-backed subsurface sensing system for safe and efficient underground power line installation.

Houston's power lines are above ground, but studies show underground power is more reliable. Installing underground power lines is costly and disruptive, but the U.S. Department of Energy, in an effort to find a solution, has put $34 million into its new GOPHURRS program, which stands for Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-speed Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience, and Security. The funding has been distributed across 12 projects in 11 states.

“Modernizing our nation’s power grid is essential to building a clean energy future that lowers energy costs for working Americans and strengthens our national security,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm says in a DOE press release.

UH and Hawaii-based Oceanit are behind one of the funded projects, entitled “Artificial Intelligence and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Real-Time Advanced Look-Ahead Subsurface Sensor.”

The researchers are looking a developing a subsurface sensing system for underground power line installation, potentially using machine learning, electromagnetic resistivity well logging, and drone technology to predict and sense obstacles to installation.

Jiefu Chen, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at UH, is a key collaborator on the project, focused on electromagnetic antennas installed on UAV and HDD drilling string. He's working with Yueqin Huang, assistant professor of information science technology, who leads the geophysical signal processing and Xuqing Wu, associate professor of computer information systems, responsible for integrating machine learning.

“Advanced subsurface sensing and characterization technologies are essential for the undergrounding of power lines,” says Chen in the release. “This initiative can enhance the grid's resilience against natural hazards such as wildfires and hurricanes.”

“If proven successful, our proposed look-ahead subsurface sensing system could significantly reduce the costs of horizontal directional drilling for installing underground utilities,” Chen continues. “Promoting HDD offers environmental advantages over traditional trenching methods and enhances the power grid’s resilience.”

University of Houston professor Xiaonan Shan and the rest of his research team are celebrating fresh funding from a federal grant. Photo via UH.edu

Houston scientists land $1M NSF funding for AI-powered clean energy project

A team of scientists from the University of Houston, in collaboration with Howard University in Washington D.C., has received a $1 million award from the National Science Foundation for a project that aims to automate the discovery of new clean-energy catalysts.

The project, dubbed "Multidisciplinary High-Performance Computing and Artificial Intelligence Enabled Catalyst Design for Micro-Plasma Technologies in Clean Energy Transition," aims to use machine learning and AI to improve the efficiency of catalysts in hydrogen generation, carbon capture and energy storage, according to UH.

“This research directly contributes to these global challenges,” Jiefu Chen, the principal investigator of the project and associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, said in a statement. “This interdisciplinary effort ensures comprehensive and innovative solutions to complex problems.”

Chen is joined by Lars Grabow, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering; Xiaonan Shan, associate professor of electrical and computing engineering; and Xuquing Wu, associate professor of information science technology. Su Yan, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Howard University, is collaborating on the project.

The University of Houston team: Xiaonan Shan, associate professor electrical and computing engineering, Jiefu Chen, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, Lars Grabow, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and Xuquing Wu, associate professor of information science technology. Photo via UH.edu

The team will create a robotic synthesis and testing facility that will automate the experimental testing and verification process of the catalyst design process, which traditionally is slow-going. It will implement AI and advanced, unsupervised machine learning techniques, and have a special focus on plasma reactions.

The project has four main focuses, according to UH.

  1. Using machine learning to discover materials for plasma-assisted catalytic reactions
  2. Developing a model to simulate complex interactions to better understand microwave-plasma-assisted heating
  3. Designing catalysts supports for efficient microwave-assisted reactions
  4. Developing a bench scale reactor to demonstrate the efficiency of the catalysts support system

Additionally, the team will put the funding toward the development of a multidisciplinary research and education program that will train students on using machine learning for topics like computational catalysis, applied electromagnetics and material synthesis. The team is also looking to partner with industry on related projects.

“This project will help create a knowledgeable and skilled workforce capable of addressing critical challenges in the clean energy transition,” Grabow added in a statement. “Moreover, this interdisciplinary project is going to be transformative in that it advances insights and knowledge that will lead to tangible economic impact in the not-too-far future.”

This spring, UH launched a new micro-credential course focused on other applications for AI and robotics in the energy industry.

Around the same time, Microsoft's famous renowned co-founder Bill Gates spoke at CERAWeek to a standing-room-only crowd on the future of the industry. Also founder of Breakthrough Energy, Gates addressed the topic of AI.

Ad Placement 300x100
Ad Placement 300x600

CultureMap Emails are Awesome

Property Showcase

Houston startup wins Space Force contract to advance quantum energy generator

quantum contract

Houston-based quantum energy technology startup Casimir Inc. has been awarded an STTR Phase I contract from the U.S. Space Force's SpaceWERX to support the development of the company's solid-state generator for potential use by the Department of the Air Force.

SpaceWERX is the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a division within AFWERX, the incubator and innovation arm of the United States Department of the Air Force. The Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceWERX, along with many other government agencies, help support innovation through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants and contracts.

As part of the new contract, Casimir will work to refine a fully independent generator. Casimir’s solid-state power technology could support national security missions by providing reliable power even in difficult-to-service environments.

In May, Casimir emerged from stealth, netting a $12 million seed round to commercialize its quantum energy chip. The semiconductor chips can generate power from quantum vacuum fields without the need for batteries or charging. The company aims to include the chips in large-scale energy systems that can power homes, commercial infrastructure and electric vehicles.

“This STTR funds some analysis work to address our proposed scaling approach of making our chips multi-layer to increase aggregate power,” Harold “Sonny” White, founder and CEO of Casimir, tells Energy Capital.

White adds that the company will work with Texas A&M to develop chip planarization techniques to support Casimir’s plans to scale. Additionally, White says the company is working with the U.S. Space Force to explore more applications for its technology.

“Casimir’s technology brings a new capability to the market in the form of our persistent power chips,” White adds. “This approach will be relevant to ultra-low-power electronics, and with the scaling approach we are developing, connected with the STTR work, will eventually be relevant to consumer electronics and beyond.”

Casimir has previously reported that it plans to commercialize its first-generation MicroSparc chip by 2028. The chips are expected to power devices for years without the need for replacements.

The total funding for this project has not yet been disclosed.

Houston clean energy tax compliance platform tops the Inc. 5000 in 2026

Top of the List

Houston-based Empact Technologies has ridden the clean energy wave to the Inc. 5000’s 30 fastest-growing private companies.

With three-year revenue growth of 8,275 percent, the clean energy tax credit compliance management platform appears at No. 27 on this year’s Inc. 5000 list. The 2026 list ranks private companies based on percentage revenue growth from 2022 to 2025.

Empact Technologies, also ranks as the No. 2 fastest-growing company in Houston and the No. 4 fastest-growing company in Texas.

Originally founded by Charles Dauber in 2012, Empact Technologies relaunched in 2023 as a purpose-built tool for clean energy tax credit compliance, following the creation of the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest clean energy investment incentive in U.S. history.

It provides a platform for clean energy developers, investors, and contractors, and combines its NexusIQ AI-native compliance platform with a dedicated team of technical and regulatory experts to ensure ongoing compliance and documentation.

Empact Technologies is joined by six other Houston-area companies in the top 250 of this year's Inc. 5000, including one that made the top 10.

Here are the six other Houston-area companies that claimed spots in the top 250 on the Inc. 5000 list. Each company name is followed by its ranking, headquarters city, and three-year growth rate.

  • No. 6 Equipe Realty, 23,210 percent
  • No. 60 Action1, 4,512 percent
  • No 75 Signs By G, 3,684 percent
  • No. 79 The ’Pause Life, 3,469 percent (Galveston)
  • No. 110 Turtlebox Audio, 2,576 percent
  • No. 178 Dahnani Private Equity Group, 1,904 percent (Stafford)
Empact and fellow honorees will be recognized Oct. 14-16 at the 2026 Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala in Dallas.

---

A version of this article first appeared on InnovationMap.com.

Sage Geosystems brings South Texas geothermal plant online

powering up

Houston-based Sage Geosystems, a provider of geothermal power, has begun full operations at its South Texas facility for the San Miguel Electric Cooperative.

Sage says the plant was recently “placed in service,” according to a news release. This means it’s fully built and tested, and ready to generate and supply electricity to the grid.

Since selling its first electricity in Q2 of this year, the facility has been operating for more than four months to evaluate aspects like efficiency and water management. Sage relied on its GeoTwin modeling tool to carry out some of the testing.

The testing demonstrates Sage’s proprietary approach to geothermal power “overcomes one of the industry’s most persistent challenges, high water losses in engineered reservoirs, while delivering the consistent performance required to scale next-generation geothermal,” co-founder and CEO Cindy Taff said in the release.

Sage says the South Texas facility will serve as a model for future projects, including one in Nevada. The Nevada facility will use Sage’s proprietary technology to extract geothermal heat from hot dry rock, creating a reliable, affordable source of carbon-free power.

During the testing period, water losses amounted to less than 10 percent. This low rate indicates most water remains in the system, enabling Sage to capture more usable energy, boost power production and improve the project’s finances, the company says.

“Commercial geothermal isn’t just about creating a reservoir. It’s about creating one whose performance can be engineered, predicted, and consistent,” Lev Ring, the company’s co-founder, president and chief technology officer, said in the release.

Since being founded in 2020, Sage has raised $159 million in outside funding. This includes a more than $97 million Series B round co-led by Ormat Technologies and Carbon Direct Capital.

Two years ago, Sage announced a deal with Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to supply up to 150 megawatts of geothermal power to Meta data centers.

View All Listings