Katie Mehnert, founder and CEO of Ally Energy, is featured in an NOV-produced film about DEI in the energy transition. Photo via allyenergy.com

In a new short film, a Houston energy entrepreneur sets the scene for the energy industry and showcases her passion for an equitable transition for the sector.

"Dirty Nasty People" originally premiered May 18 to the Houston community. Now, the NOV-produced film featuring Katie Mehnert and her company Ally Energy is available for viewing online.

The film, directed by Paul Dufilho, tells Mehnert's story, her passion for energy, and her career, which began at Enron, grew at Shell and BP, and took her to founding a company dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the space. Ally Energy, which was founded in 2014 as Pink Petro, is a community and talent platform for the evolving energy industry.

In the movie, Mehnert introduces the dual challenge the industry is facing — and how DEI is integral to solving it.

“On the one hand, we all need energy — affordable, reliable energy — to keep lives going,” she says in the film. “But we are harming the planet. And ourselves.

"It is complicated — this challenge is very complicated," she continues. "But it’s going to take collaboration, and diversity of thought — diversity of energy form. It’s going to take bringing people into the energy industry, into the fold, looking at this challenge in a different way — but it’s all about working together.”

Houston-based NOV Inc., an international oil and gas industry equipment and tech provider, backed the production of the film which was meant to showcase Ally, Mehnert, and the energy transition ecosystem locally.

"The energy workforce of the future will need to be as large and diverse as the technical solutions that will be needed to offset the effects of Climate Change," writes Dufilho on the website. "This project hopes to put a singular human focus on what is one of the largest issues of our day.

"There are already incredible people inside the industry doing the work of developing better energy solutions, and this project highlights just one of them," he continues. "However, the energy problems of the near future will require the perspectives and know-how of those who have not yet seen themselves as part of the solution. The outsider. The consumer. This project is for them."

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Rice Alliance names participants in 22th annual energy forum

where to be

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship has named the 100 energy technology ventures that will convene next month at the 22nd annual Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum, as part of the second annual Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week.

Half of the startups, which hail from nine countries and 19 states, will pitch during the event, which culminates in the annual recognition of the “Most Promising Companies." The 12 companies that were named to Class 5 of the Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator will present during Demo Day to wrap up their 10-week program.

In addition to pitches, the event will also host keynotes from Arjun Murti, partner of energy macro and policy at Veriten, and Susan Schofer, partner at HAX and chief science officer at SOSV. Panels will focus on corporate innovation and institutional venture capital. Attendees can also participate in one-on-one office hours with founders and investors.

The forum will take place Sept. 18 at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business.

The 2025 presenting companies include:

  • Aeromine Technologies
  • AlumaPower
  • Ammobia
  • Aqua-Cell Energy
  • Aquafortus
  • Aquora Biosystems
  • Arculus Solutions
  • Artemis Production Solutions
  • AtmoSpark Technologies
  • AtoMe
  • Badwater Alchemy
  • C+UP
  • Carbon Blade
  • Circul8 Energy & Environment
  • CO2 Lock
  • Direct C
  • DirectH2
  • Ekona Power
  • Exum Instruments
  • Fathom Storage
  • Flyscan Systems
  • Geokiln Energy Innovation
  • Glint Solar
  • Hive Autonomy
  • Horne Technologies
  • Hydrogenious LOHC Maritime
  • Innowind Energy Solutions
  • Iron IQ
  • Kewazo
  • LiNova Energy
  • Lukera Energy
  • Lydian
  • Mcatalysis
  • Metal Light
  • Mithril Minerals
  • Moment Energy
  • Moonshot Hydrogen
  • Muon Vision
  • PolyQor
  • Polystyvert dba UpSolv
  • Precision Additive
  • RapiCure Solutions
  • Resollant
  • SiriNor
  • Skyven Technologies
  • Sperra
  • SpiroPak
  • Sweetch Energy
  • Teverra
  • Utility Global
  • Xplorobot

Companies participating in office hours include:

  • Active Surfaces
  • Advanced Reactor Technologies
  • Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems
  • Ai Driller
  • Airbridge
  • Airworks Compressors
  • Austere Environmental
  • Brint Tech
  • CarbonX Solutions
  • Cavern Energy Storage
  • Celadyne Technologies
  • CERT Systems
  • CubeNexus
  • Deep Anchor Solutions
  • Ellexco
  • Emerald Battery Labs
  • Equipt.ai
  • FAST Metals
  • FieldMesh
  • FlowCellutions
  • Fluidsdata
  • GrapheneTX
  • GS VORTEX SYSTEMS
  • Installer
  • Kanin Energy
  • MacroCycle Technologies
  • Modular MOPU
  • NANOBORNE
  • NetForwards
  • Oxylus Energy
  • PetroBricks
  • PHNXX
  • RASMAG Energy
  • RedShift Energy
  • RENASYS
  • RenewCO2
  • Resonantia Diagnostics
  • Respire Energy
  • Safety Radar
  • SeaStock
  • Secant Fuel
  • SolGrapH
  • Stratos Perception
  • Terraflow Energy
  • Think Energy Holdings
  • Turnover Labs
  • Utiltyx
  • Zenthos Energy

Find information about the full day of events here, or click here to register.

Houston environmental firm makes partnership to deliver low-carbon ship fuel

renewable shipping

Houston-headquartered environmental services firm Anew Climate and Vancouver-based ship-to-ship marine bunkering of liquified natural gas company Seaspan Energy have entered into a first-of-its-kind strategic agreement to offer the delivery of renewable liquefied natural gas (R-LNG) to customers on the North American West Coast.

“We’re proud to collaborate with Anew Climate to forge a new path for lower-carbon marine fuel,” Harly Penner, president of Seaspan Energy, said in a news release. “This partnership supports our goal to provide cleaner energy solutions to the maritime industry and demonstrates our dedication to innovation and environmental leadership.”

Anew will supply renewable natural gas (RNG) certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC). The RNG will comply with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Net-Zero Framework, which recently approved measures to encourage emissions reductions, and the FuelEU Maritime Regulation in the European Union.

Together, the companies aim to identify and develop commercial opportunities to promote the adoption of lower-carbon fuels and deliver ISCC-certified renewable liquified natural gas (R-LNG) to ships throughout the North American West Coast.

The partnership builds upon Anew Climate’s bio-LNG bunkering, which was developed in 2021 when the company was known as Element Markets. It was the first bio-LNG bunkering, or refueling with bio-LNG, in the U.S.

“At a time when global shipping is under pressure to decarbonize, this partnership brings together two innovators committed to advancing sustainable solutions,” Andy Brosnan, president of Anew Climate Low Carbon Fuels, said in a news release. “By combining Anew’s expertise in RNG with Seaspan’s marine logistic capabilities, we’re offering a market-leading approach to help shipowners meet evolving emissions requirements and reduce their environmental impact without compromising performance.”

In July, Anew also extended its agreement with CNX Resources to market remediated mine gas, which is an ultra-low carbon intensity energy source from captured waste methane. It also announced a 10-year agreement earlier this summer with Aurora Sustainable Lands and Microsoft to deliver 4.8 million nature-based carbon removal credits. Anew Climate, founded in 2001, states that its mission is to reduce emissions, environmental restoration and impact the climate in a positive way.

Houston energy firm to develop data center projects in Matagorda County

data center developments

Houston-based Barrio Energy will develop two new projects for 10-megawatt data center sites in Matagorda County.

Located in the ERCOT South Zone, the projects will assist in powering advanced computing operations, modular data centers and cryptocurrency mining, according to a news release.

Barrio Energy is a provider of energy infrastructure solutions for computing and data centers, and its new locations will build on its existing Texas sites in Monahans, George West, Lolita and Tyler. The Tyler location, a 12-megawatt data center connected to the ERCOT grid, opened in 2024.

“The ERCOT South Zone’s strong infrastructure and access to abundant power make it an optimal location for next-generation computing,” Ivan Pinney, CEO of Barrio Energy, said in a news release. “These developments expand our portfolio and contribute to local economic growth through job creation and technological innovation.”

Operations at the first of the two sites are expected to commence in Q4 2025, with the second site following in Q1 2026.

“We are excited to advance these two high-potential 10MW sites in Matagorda County, which perfectly align with our mission to provide scalable, efficient energy solutions for our clients,” Pinney added in the release.