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Fervo Energy selects Baker Hughes to supply geothermal tech for power plants

geothermal deal

Fervo Energy has tapped Baker Hughes to supply technology to five power plants at Cape Station, its flagship geothermal power generation project in Utah. Photo courtesy Fervo Energy.

Houston-based geothermal energy startup Fervo Energy has tapped Houston-based energy technology company Baker Hughes to supply geothermal equipment for five Fervo power plants in Utah.

The equipment will be installed at Fervo’s Cape Station geothermal power project near Milford, Utah. The project’s five second-phase, 60-megawatt plants will generate about 400 megawatts of clean energy for the grid.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

“Baker Hughes’ expertise and technology are ideal complements to the ongoing progress at Cape Station, which has been under construction and successfully meeting project milestones for almost two years,” says Tim Latimer, co-founder and CEO of Fervo. “Fervo designed Cape Station to be a flagship development that's scalable, repeatable, and a proof point that geothermal is ready to become a major source of reliable, carbon-free power in the U.S.”

Cape Station is permitted to deliver about two gigawatts of geothermal power. The first phase of the project will supply 100 megawatts of power to the grid beginning in 2026. The second phase is scheduled to come online by 2028.

“Geothermal power is one of several renewable energy sources expanding globally and proving to be a vital contributor to advancing sustainable energy development,” Baker Hughes Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Simonelli says. “By working with a leader like Fervo Energy and leveraging our comprehensive portfolio of technology solutions, we are supporting the scaling of lower-carbon power solutions that are integral to meet growing global energy demand.”

Founded in 2017, Fervo is now a unicorn, meaning its valuation as a private company has surpassed $1 billion. In March, Axios reported Fervo is targeting a $2 billion to $4 billion valuation in an IPO.

Over the course of eight years, Fervo has raised almost $1 billion in capital, including equity and debt financing. This summer, the company secured a $205.5 million round of capital.

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A team from UH has published two breakthrough studies that could help cut costs and boost efficiency in carbon capture. Photo courtesy UH.

UH researchers make breakthrough in cutting carbon capture costs

Carbon breakthrough

A team of researchers at the University of Houston has made two breakthroughs in addressing climate change and potentially reducing the cost of capturing harmful emissions from power plants.

Led by Professor Mim Rahimi at UH’s Cullen College of Engineering, the team released two significant publications that made significant strides relating to carbon capture processes. The first, published in Nature Communications, introduced a membraneless electrochemical process that cuts energy requirements and costs for amine-based carbon dioxide capture during the acid gas sweetening process. Another, featured on the cover of ES&T Engineering, demonstrated a vanadium redox flow system capable of both capturing carbon and storing renewable energy.

“These publications reflect our group’s commitment to fundamental electrochemical innovation and real-world applicability,” Rahimi said in a news release. “From membraneless systems to scalable flow systems, we’re charting pathways to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.”

According to the researchers, the “A Membraneless Electrochemically Mediated Amine Regeneration for Carbon Capture” research paper marked the beginning of the team’s first focus. The research examined the replacement of costly ion-exchange membranes with gas diffusion electrodes. They found that the membranes were the most expensive part of the system, and they were also a major cause of performance issues and high maintenance costs.

The researchers achieved more than 90 percent CO2 removal (nearly 50 percent more than traditional approaches) by engineering the gas diffusion electrodes. According to PhD student and co-author of the paper Ahmad Hassan, the capture costs approximately $70 per metric ton of CO2, which is competitive with other innovative scrubbing techniques.

“By removing the membrane and the associated hardware, we’ve streamlined the EMAR workflow and dramatically cut energy use,” Hassan said in the news release. “This opens the door to retrofitting existing industrial exhaust systems with a compact, low-cost carbon capture module.”

The second breakthrough, published by PhD student Mohsen Afshari, displayed a reversible flow battery architecture that absorbs CO2 during charging and releases it upon discharge. The results suggested that the technology could potentially provide carbon removal and grid balancing when used with intermittent renewables, such as solar or wind power.

“Integrating carbon capture directly into a redox flow battery lets us tackle two challenges in one device,” Afshari said in the release. “Our front-cover feature highlights its potential to smooth out renewable generation while sequestering CO2.”

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6 must-attend Houston energy sector events in November 2025

Must-Attend Meetings

Editor's note: It's time to mark your calendar for November's must-attend Houston energy transition events, as they are front-loaded at the beginning fo the month. From a climatetech summit to the annual Houston Innovation Awards, these are the energy events to attend. Learn more below, and register now.

Nov. 4: Greentown Labs Climatetech Summit

Greentown Labs hosts its Houston Climatetech Summit, bringing together philanthropists, executives, and innovators in the energy transition space. Attendees will be able to explore climatetech solutions from dozens of startups, as well as hear insightful keynotes and discussions with industry leaders throughout the day.

The event begins with check-in and breakfast at 8 am on Nov. 4 at Greentown Labs. Register here.

Nov. 4-6: Operational Excellence in Oil and Gas Summit 2025

More than 300 industry leaders and change-makers will explore smarter, faster, more sustainable paths to operational excellence in the oil and gas industry at this annual three-day summit.

The event begins Nov. 4 at Norris Conference Center - City Centre Location. Register here.

Nov. 11-12: 20th Annual API Cybersecurity Conference for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry

The API Cybersecurity Conference has been an annual event since 2005. For 20 years, it has been the only cybersecurity conference dedicated to the oil and gas industry. Don't miss two days of compelling programming, networking and idea-exchange opportunities, as well as exhibitors sharing the latest products and services.

The event begins Nov. 11 at Woodlands Waterway Marriott. Register here.

Nov. 12-13: Energy Supply Chain & Procurement Summit

Senior executives from across the U.S. come to Houston, the energy capital, to discuss the energy supply chain, procurement and logistics ecosystems. The summit is focused on fostering dialogue and facilitating commercial relationships to further the mission of decarbonization and digitalization of the energy sector.

The event begins Nov. 12 at Hyatt Regency Houston West. Register here.

Nov. 13: Houston Innovation Awards

Houston's innovation ecosystem comes together for the fifth annual Houston Innovation Awards, taking place for the first time at Greentown Labs. Get your tickets to this intimate networking event and awards program, where winners in 10 prestigious categories — including Energy Transition Business, Scaleup of the Year, and Startup of the Year — will be revealed.

The event begins at 7 pm on Nov. 13 at Greentown Labs. Tickets are available here.

Nov. 14: Powering the Future via Geothermal, Lithium Extraction, and Battery Storage

Innovators and energy experts will converge for an in-depth panel discussion on how geothermal energy, lithium extraction and battery storage are shaping the next era of the low-carbon economy. At this event, hosted by Society for Low Carbon technologies, attendees will engage with thought leaders across sectors and explore how these technologies will help power a cleaner and smarter energy future.

This event begins at 9:10 am on Nov. 14 at NOV Towers. Register here.

Houston energy giants among top AI adopters and more news to know

Trending Topics

Editor's note: The top energy transition news for Oct. 15-31 includes AI integration among energy leaders and the most promising startups from an annual pitch competition. Here are the most-read EnergyCapitalHTX stories for the second half of October:

1. 2 Houston energy giants appear on Fortune’s inaugural AI ranking

ExxonMobil is on Fortune's first-ever AIQ ranking. Getty Images

Two Houston-area energy leaders appear on Fortune’s inaugural list of the top adopters of AI among Fortune 500 companies. They are: No. 7 energy company ExxonMobil, based in Spring and No. 47 energy company Chevron, based in Houston. They are joined by Spring-based tech company Hewlett Packard Enterprise, No. 19. All three companies have taken a big dive into the AI pool. Continue reading.

2. Energy Tech Nexus names 8 startup winners from Pilotathon pitch event

Eight startups were given awards at Energy Tech Nexus' Pilotathon. Photo via Getty Images.

Energy Tech Nexus held its Pilotathon and Showcase during the second annual Houston Energy & Climate Startup Week last month and granted awards to eight startups. This year's event, focused on the theme "Energy Access and Resilience," offered 24 startups an opportunity to pitch their pilot projects. Continue reading.

3. Houston organization proposes Gulf Coast index for hydrogen market

The Clean Hydrogen Buyers Alliance plans to create the Gulf Coast Hydrogen Index to bring to bring transparency and confidence to hydrogen pricing. Photo via Getty Images

The Clean Hydrogen Buyers Alliance has proposed an index aimed at bringing transparency to pricing in the emerging hydrogen market. The Houston-based alliance said the Gulf Coast Hydrogen Index, based on real-time data, would provide more clarity to pricing in the global market for hydrogen. The benchmarking effort is being designed to benefit clean hydrogen buyers, sellers and investors. The index would help position the U.S. “as the trading anchor for hydrogen’s next chapter as a globally traded commodity,” the alliance said. Continue reading.

4. Houston clean energy company to develop hybrid renewable project in Port Arthur

The new Pleasure Island Power Collective in Port Arthur is expected to generate 391 megawatts of clean power. Photo via unsplash.

Houston-based clean energy company Diligence Offshore Services has announced a strategic partnership with Florida-based floating solar manufacturing company AccuSolar for the development of a renewable energy project in the Port Arthur area. Known as the Pleasure Island Power Collective, it will be built on 2,275 acres across Pleasure Island and Sabine Lake. It is expected to generate 391 megawatts of clean power, alongside a utility-scale battery energy storage system. Continue reading.

5. Port Houston reports emissions progress as cargo volumes climb

Ric Campo says Port Houston is “moving in the right direction.” Photo via Getty Images.

Port Houston’s initiatives to reduce emissions have shown some positive results, according to new data from the Port of Houston Authority. Pulling from the Goods Movement Emissions Inventory (GMEI) report, which tracks port-related air emissions, Port Houston cited several improvements compared to the most recent report from 2019. Continue reading.

3 energy transition cos. in the running for Houston Startup of the Year

People's Choice

We're just two weeks away from the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards, presented by InnovationMap.com, and while an expert panel of judges will determine the winners in most categories, one award is up to the public.

Voting is now open for 2025 Houston Startup of the Year, the people's choice award. Six exceptional finalists are in the running for the title, including three from the energy transition sector.

From next-gen biobased materials to technology that creates chemicals without carbon emissions, these companies are shaping the future.

Read about all of the Startup of the Year finalists and their missions below, then cast your vote. You can vote once per day through November 12.

The winner, along with winners in all other categories, will be revealed live on November 13 at Greentown Labs. Tickets to the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards are available now — get yours today.

2025 Houston Startup of the Year finalists:

Eclipse Energy

Eclipse Energy, previously known as Gold H2, is a climatetech startup converting end-of-life oil fields into low-cost, sustainable hydrogen sources. The company completed its first field trial this summer, which demonstrated subsurface bio-stimulated hydrogen production. Eclipse Energy says Its technology could yield up to 250 billion kilograms of low-carbon hydrogen.

Rheom Materials

Rheom Materials is a next-generation startup developing biobased materials for a more sustainable future. Its two flagship offerings are Shorai, a sustainable leather alternative that is usable for apparel, accessories, car interiors, and more, and Benree, an alternative to plastic without the carbon footprint.

Solidec

Solidec is a chemical manufacturing company developing autonomous generators that extract molecules from water and air and convert them into pure chemicals and fuels that are free of carbon emissions. The technology eliminates the need for transport, storage, and permitting.

FlowCare

FlowCare is developing a period health platform that integrates smart dispensers, education, and healthcare into one system to make free, high-quality, organic period products more accessible. FlowCare is live at prominent Houston venues, including Discovery Green, Texas Medical Center, The Ion, and, most recently, Space Center Houston, helping make Houston a “period positivity” city.

MyoStep

MyoStep is a next-generation, lightweight, soft exoskeleton developed at University of Houston for children with cerebral palsy. The soft skeleton aims to address motor impairments that impact their ability to participate in physical activities, self-care, and academics, via an affordable, child-friendly solution that empowers mobility and independence.

Persona AI

Persona AI is a humanoid robotics startup that is creating rugged, autonomous robots for skilled, heavy industry work for various "4D" (dull, dirty, dangerous, and declining) jobs. In May, the company announced a memorandum of understanding with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai Robotic, and Vazil Company to create and deploy humanoid robots for complex welding tasks in shipyards. The project will deliver prototype humanoids by the end of 2026.

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The Houston Innovation Awards program is sponsored by Houston Community College, Houston Powder Coaters, FLIGHT by Yuengling, and more to be announced soon. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact sales@innovationmap.com.

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