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Newly named corporate energy, chemicals leader on navigating dynamic energy transition sector

Q&A

Teresa Thomas, newly named vice chair and national sector leader for energy and chemicals at Deloitte, shares her vision in an interview. Photo via LinkedIn

Deloitte is undergoing a leadership shift — and this evolution for the nearly 200-year-old company directly affects its Houston office and the energy transition line of business.

Earlier this month, Teresa Thomas was named vice chair and national sector leader for energy and chemicals at Deloitte. Based in Houston, she will also serve as an advisory partner and leader in Deloitte & Touche LLP's Risk & Financial Advisory energy and chemicals practice. She succeeds Amy Chronis, partner at Deloitte LLP, who will continue to serve within the energy and chemicals practice until her retirement in June 2024.

In an interview with EnergyCapital, Thomas shares a bit about what she plans on focusing as she takes on her new role.

EnergyCapital: As you transition into your new role, how would you describe your focus and priorities? 

Teresa Thomas: I am excited about what lies ahead for the energy and chemicals sector. The sector is moving into the new year with strong production and a focus on returning value and achieving efficiency. The sector is innovating with new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, including generative AI. that can capture value from data to transform and reinvent business processes and optimize the workforce.

The mission for my leadership role is to grow our practice by serving our clients with world-class solutions; venture into new innovative areas that exceed the changing needs in our sector; and attract, retain, and develop the best talent across Deloitte’s four businesses. I am bullish about the sector's role in leading on the forefront through the energy transition, pioneering innovative technologies and solutions that will help solve some of society’s most pressing issues, and contributing unique and differentiated ideas to help transform the energy and chemicals sector to meet global demands in a sustainable and profitable way.

EC: How is Deloitte navigating the trends and progression of the energy transition? What are clients’ expectations, and how does the company plan to stay a step ahead?  

TT: At Deloitte, we proactively navigate the dynamic landscape of the energy transition with a strategic, collaborative, and innovative edge. Our extensive global presence and diverse partnerships, spanning industries, regions, and academic institutions, keep us abreast of emerging trends, regulatory shifts, and technological advancements. Client expectations are evolving towards sustainable practices, and we respond by providing innovative solutions that align with their goals.

Our commitment to staying a step ahead involves continuous investment in talent development and innovative technologies. Central to our strategy is taking ownership of pivotal marketplace issues and adeptly guiding clients through the intricacies of their business challenges. Through harnessing our extensive expertise that cuts across our four business, we aim to create growth opportunities and offer innovative solutions.

EC: Energy companies have been known to more slowly adopt and adapt to new technologies. Is that changing?

TT: We believe the energy and chemicals industries is at the forefront of adopting cutting-edge technologies to bolster operational efficiency, increase productivity, reduce costs, and advance safety and sustainability measures. From bringing new materials to consumers, pioneering offshore operations, transforming shale resources into one of the most competitive resources, to developing new and sustainable molecules, the industry has highlighted its adaptability. The industry continues to be a leader of groundbreaking technologies including the development of biofuels, biomaterials, carbon capture, hydrogen production, and more.

Additionally, energy companies are increasingly leveraging digital technologies, including GenAI to enhance operational efficiency, optimize resource management, and drive innovation across various segments of the industry. From interpreting seismic data and predicting reservoir behavior, to employing carbon analytics and tracking GHG emissions, the industry is transforming its operations and contributing to a more sustainable and efficient energy landscape. While there is much more to be done, we remain confident that the energy industry will continue to help lead the way in innovation.

The oil and gas industry has been increasingly investing in clean energy over recent years, wherein the clean energy investments by the oil and gas industry as a share of their upstream capex quadrupled between 2020 and 2022. Yet, this clean energy investment remains less than 2 percent of the overall clean energy investments made in 2022.

After having outperformed the broader S&P 500 by over 45 percent since 2021, the oil and gas industry faces a threefold mandate:

  1. uphold financial stability,
  2. sustain high dividends, and
  3. augment investments in low-carbon ventures.

However, the central challenge lies in scaling the energy transition while maintaining profitability and shareholder value.

EC: The chemicals sector, in particular, seems ripe for disruption with new and developing alternative materials on the scene. What do you expect to see from this industry in 2024?

TT: There is a chemicals and material transition taking place as companies are pushed to develop more sustainable, lower-carbon materials. And given that 96 percent of all manufactured goods are touched by chemistry, this transition could also be transformational. Over the next year, we expect chemical companies to continue positioning themselves for this high-tech, low-carbon future in three notable ways.

  • First, we expect companies to increase automation and digitalization to improve productivity and accelerate innovation.
  • Second, we see companies continuing to invest in circular solutions, whether it's designing materials for a sustainable end-of-life or using renewable feedstocks.
  • Third, we expect some companies to lean into the new chemicals and materials needed to support the energy transition.

EC: As a Houstonian, what do you see the city’s role amidst the future of energy?

TT: Houston is a top global city, driving transformational change and a convener to an ecosystem of players that are leading the charge in the energy transition through biofuels, biomaterials, and advanced methods for carbon capture and hydrogen production.

Although not a native, I did find the energy and chemicals sector early in my career which brought me to this dynamic city. Houston’s advanced network of partners are working together toward creating innovative solutions that are accelerating the advancement of a lower carbon future.

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This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

In a Q&A with EnergyCapital, Guillermo Sierra of Nabors Industries explains how the 70-year-old company is navigating the energy transition. Photo via LinkedIn

Why Nabors wants to be an early leader within the energy transition

Q&A

With over 70 years of experience, Nabors Industries has established itself as one of the largest land contract drilling companies in the world, as well as a provider of offshore platform rigs in the United States and international markets. But how is the company thinking of its next decades amid the energy transition?

Considering the role Nabors is playing in the future of energy is Houston-based Guillermo Sierra's job as vice president of energy transition. In a Q&A with EnergyCapital, he explains how the company envisions its future as an energy leader and what all that entails, including sourcing new technologies — sometimes from promising startups like Sage Geosystems.

EnergyCapital: Tell me about Nabors' commitment to the energy transition. What are your responsibilities leading this initiative?

Guillermo Sierra: Understanding that no single source today consistently delivers affordable, reliable and responsible energy, Nabors sees its future innovating solutions for hydrocarbons and clean energy while removing the tradeoffs between them. “Energy Without Compromise” is the vision guiding these efforts. Ultimately, we view three critical paths for the industry and ourselves to realize this:

  • Embrace energy innovation over energy exclusion. Too often the energy transition conversation is about excluding particular sources when we should be focused on solving challenges or overcoming limitations with technology. Oil and gas provide affordable and reliable energy but we must address emissions. Renewables are a greener solution but powering society, heavy industries, and hard-to-abate sectors requires sources that are clean, scalable, and baseload-seeking. For our part, we are lowering the carbon intensity of oil and gas operations with AI-based engine management software, fuel enhancers, highline power solutions, energy storage and forthcoming hydrogen injection systems while also investing in geothermal, concentrated solar power, alternative energy storage, emissions monitoring, hydrogen, and advanced materials, to make renewables a viable solution to decarbonize the industrial and energy industries.
  • Capitalize on strengths and adjacencies. Companies should seek opportunities to apply skillsets and competencies to advance other industries in the pursuit of a sustainable future. It is easy to see how our drilling expertise is valuable to the geothermal industry. Those companies need to drill wells and use technology that’s been developed by the oil and gas industry for decades to produce heat instead of hydrocarbons. Beyond the drill bit though, companies in the broader clean energy community see tremendous strategic value in partnering with Nabors. Our robotics, remote operations, software, automation, AI, manufacturing and engineering capabilities, global customer base of some of the world’s largest companies, worldwide vendor relationships and supply chain can be used to help startups grow and scale much more quickly.
  • Collaborate to accelerate progress. The proverb is if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go deep or go far, go together. Working together and leveraging collective strengths will help us solve some of the most meaningful challenges. There’s room for us all and we need to work together to achieve emissions goals.

EC: When considering a clean tech company, what are the top qualities driving your investment decisions? How did Sage Geosystems fit what you were looking for?

GS: Traditionally, renewables have stumbled some in the power business because they are intermittent and therefore not dispatchable or reliable baseload. There are also safety, supply chain, and environmental challenges to overcome with lithium-ion batteries and the lack of circularity of panels, blades, and other equipment. Additionally, to decarbonize industrial processes, you need clean and efficient sources of heat – which have largely been nonexistent. And the broader industrials complex needs green fuels, hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel to eliminate their carbon footprint.

Therefore we believe the world needs clean, renewable, scalable, and baseload/dispatchable generation, and alternatives to today’s chemical-based energy storage. When we evaluate our investments, this is what we’re ultimately seeking.

Sage checks every one of these boxes. The company envisions producing renewable baseload power from geothermal and has novel solutions to energy storage. And unlike many geothermal companies, their approach is deployable today with off the shelf technologies.

EC: What role do you see enhanced geothermal playing in the energy transition?

GS: In my opinion, geothermal has been the gaping hole so to speak in net zero plans from companies and governments. Less than 1 percent of the earth is cooler than 1,000 degrees Celsius. Heat gradients needed are miles away while the sun is 93 million miles away. The oil and gas industry has spent decades perfecting how we drill safely and efficiently. We have near limitless energy beneath our feet and have the tools to tap it. Now we need the focus and capital of the broader energy complex.

EC: How big are your long-term aspirations for Nabors in regards to the energy transition?

GS: I believe the energy transition will represent one of the biggest reallocations of capital in human history. By some estimates, some $300 trillion is expected to spent. We want to be a leader. We want in early. We believe we have the skills, competencies, workforce, relationships, and scale to make a meaningful impact and we are taking action.

———

This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

In a Q&A with EnergyCapital, Cindy Taff of Sage Geosystems explains why she's so optimistic about geothermal and her company's technology. Photo courtesy of Sage

Houston founder on why geothermal is a 'cornerstone' tech for energy transition

Q&A

Geothermal energy is an integral part of decarbonizing the energy industry, and Sage Geosystems CEO Cindy Taff believes her company's tech has what it takes to lead the way.

Founded in Houston in 2020, Sage Geosystems is focused on two business lines — energy storage and geothermal. In addition to developing these technologies, Taff says Sage has "cracked the code" on both reducing costs and maximizing electricity output. Sage has customers ranging from Nabors, the world’s largest land-based drilling company, and Virya LLC, an investor in climate ventures with high impact of eliminating global greenhouse gas emissions or sequestering CO2

In a Q&A with EnergyCapital, she explains why she's so optimistic about geothermal and her company's technology.

EnergyCapital: Why do you believe geothermal has a major role to play in the energy transition?

Cindy Taff: Geothermal energy is not just a contender in the energy transition; it is a cornerstone. The question isn’t if we can drive down the costs to be competitive with wind, solar, and natural gas—it’s when. As renewable credits for solar and wind begin to expire, these industries will face the reality of their “real costs.”

As a 24/7 renewable energy source, it provides a constant and reliable power supply, unlike the intermittent nature of solar and wind. Moreover, the rising costs of lithium-ion batteries, driven by the increasing scarcity of lithium and cobalt, further underscore geothermal’s economic viability.

My extensive experience in both geothermal and the O&G sector is a testament to the synergistic relationship between these industries. The skills honed in O&G are not only transferable—they are essential to advancing geothermal technologies. In summary, the O&G industry can make a huge impact to geothermal by systematically driving down costs while scaling up, which is exactly what we did for unconventional shales.

EC: When it comes to finding partners or investors, what are you looking for? What should potential partners/investors know about Sage?

CT: Our technology is ready to scale today, not five to 10 years into the future. We will deliver our first energy storage power plant in 2024 and our first enhanced geothermal power plant in 2025. We are looking for synergies with investors, such as companies with power market or O&G expertise.

In addition, we seek to partner with others who have local content and relationships in places around the world to enable us to quickly and broadly scale our technologies. Sage's technologies are extremely flexible, in that we can deliver energy storage or enhanced geothermal to the utility grid or behind-the-meter to targeted commercial customers, including a dedicated microgrid (i.e., for the U.S. Air Force). Our technologies can provide electricity to remote locations such as mining operations or to large population centers such as Houston, and everything in between.

EC: What's the biggest challenge Sage is facing as an energy transition startup and how do you plan to tackle it?

CT: A common misunderstanding about Sage is that we only do energy storage or that we only do geothermal. However, we do both and the technologies build on one another. Essentially, our energy storage technologies will allow us to "walk" before we "run" with geothermal. On a related point, at this point in the energy transition, time to commercialization and affordability of new clean technology are the leading factors in terms of climate impact. As the first geothermal company to deliver a cost-effective commercial enhanced geothermal system, we are poised to truly make a meaningful difference.

EC: As a woman in a male-dominated industry tackling a global problem, what's been your biggest lesson learned? What's your advice to fellow energy tech female founders?

CT: In my journey as a woman in the energy tech industry, I’ve been fortunate to focus on the work and the global challenges we’re addressing, rather than on any gender-based obstacles. My biggest lesson learned is that innovation and leadership know no gender. Success is driven by perseverance, vision, and collaboration.

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This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Jeremy Pitts of Activate joins the Houston Energy Transition Initiative for a Q&A. Photo via LinkedIn

Q&A: Houston organization empowers science entrepreneurs paving the way to a low-carbon future

THE VIEW FROM HETI

Founded in 2015, Activate Global Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that partners with US-based funders and research institutions to support scientists at the outset of their entrepreneurial journey by providing personalized expertise, tools, and resources that may otherwise be inaccessible. The organization recently launched its fifth community in Houston, and just closed the application window for the 2024 Activate Fellowship Cohort.

We recently connected with energy industry veteran and Activate Houston Managing Director Jeremy Pitts to learn more about how Activate is empowering scientists and engineers as they pave the way to a low-carbon future.

HETI: Activate was founded in 2015 and has established fellowship programs in Silicon Valley, Boston, New York, and a remote Anywhere Community. Why was Houston the next logical choice for an Activate Community?   

Jeremy Pitts: There is no doubt that Houston is going to be a major player in the energy transition, so it’s a logical place for Activate to be as we do our part to help bring ground-breaking technology out of the lab and deploy it to solve the world’s biggest challenges.

Houston is already the best place to scale a company working on the types of hard tech solutions that Activate focuses on. Houston has the talent, capital, and resources to build and deploy things at the scale needed to have a global impact. There is a good chance that many of our current Activate companies and alumni will end up in Houston as they pursue their scale-up plans. Activate alum Tim Latimer and Fervo Energy are great examples of this.

Houston is also an interesting fit for Activate as we believe we can fill a gap in the current ecosystem by providing support for entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of their journey. By providing funding and support, we can keep those entrepreneurs in Houston as opposed to moving to the coasts. We are hopeful that not only can we directly support a small number of the most promising entrepreneurs, but we can indirectly support many more by creating an ecosystem where early-stage capital starts to find its way to Houston to support these revolutionary and impactful technologies.

HETI: Activate Communities work closely with climate tech programs at leading colleges and universities, including UC Berkeley, U Mass Boston, and Columbia University. What can you tell us about Activate Houston’s plans for collaboration with area colleges and universities?

JP: Activate’s goal is to be as inclusive as possible. One of our main goals is to find fellows who we can have as big of an impact on as possible, potentially being the difference between whether they are successful or not. To that end, we plan to partner and engage with all of the research institutions across Houston and the surrounding areas. In just our first few months of being on the ground in Houston and recruiting for our first cohort, we have already engaged with Rice, UH, Prairie View A&M, TSU, Texas A&M, UT, and the Texas Medical Center. We have also begun outreach and preliminary conversations with institutions outside of the Houston area, like UT Dallas, SMU, Baylor, UTEP, etc. Our goal is to find the most promising entrepreneurs and the most impactful technologies that we can help and support, regardless of where they come from.

We will also be looking to engage with some of these institutions to make resources available to our fellows to support the research they are doing once in the Activate program. These conversations are in the early stages, but the facilities at UH Technology Bridge and TMC’s Innovation Factory are great examples of how the Houston ecosystem can support our fellows.

HETI: How do fellowships like Activate differ from traditional accelerator programs and why are they such an important component of the energy transition?

JP: Accelerators in general are a great resource for entrepreneurs to quickly learn the fundamentals around building a company and gain access to a network of investors, mentors, and partners that they would have trouble accessing on their own.

While Activate has a lot of overlap with accelerators in terms of what we provide, we classify ourselves as a fellowship and not an accelerator. The reasons for this primarily lie in the fact that we are a non-profit. This allows us to do a few things different from traditional accelerators. First, our program does not charge any fees or equity. Because our success is not tied to the financial outcomes of the companies, we are able to take much bigger risks in terms of the technology we support and we are also able to take a fellow first approach, as sometimes the best outcome for the fellow as a person is not the best financial outcome for the company. Second, we are much more patient, offering a full two years of support for our fellows and continuing to support our alumni community after they have left the program.

Activate’s unique fellowship program can play an essential role because many of the technologies and breakthroughs necessary to solve the world’s biggest challenges are really hard. It can take a long time to develop these technologies and often they are too risky and unproven at the early stages to be able to attract the capital they need to turn the technology into a commercial solution. Activate can support these hard technologies and provide a two-year safety net for our fellows as they work through those early challenges and progress their solution to a point that the private markets will support the business coming out of our program. We have been quite successful with this approach thus far, as the 145 companies we have created have raised nearly $1.4B in follow-on funding, representing a 23X multiplier on the funds Activate has directly deployed to support the fellows.

HETI: You’re the co-founder of Greentown Labs, now the nation’s biggest climate tech incubator. How does that experience help in your new role as MD at Activate Houston?

JP: The biggest takeaway for me from my time building Greentown is the power of community. Early-stage deep tech founders face monumental challenges. Having a community of like-minded individuals nearby who are facing their own similar challenges and serve as both a support network and a sounding board to help work through those challenges can be the difference between success and failure. I hope to leverage those learnings to really focus on Activate Houston being an incredibly strong community where the founders can lean on each other, and me, for the support they need.

In addition, Greentown also serves as a gathering place for bringing the larger climate community together, which is so vital in pushing forward the energy transition. In the early days of Greentown, those events happened on an almost ad hoc basis, as there wasn’t previously a place for people interested in climate to gather. Greentown has changed a lot over the years – the facilities are quite a bit nicer than where we started – but it has done an amazing job continuing to fill that role as the center of the climate ecosystem and bringing together a community of like-minded individuals. Anyone who attended the recent Greentown Climatetech Summit and experienced the standing-room-only crowds of passionate people can attest to that. Certainly, Greentown already fills that role for Houston and does it well, but my experience with the power of community will lead me to lean into Houston’s climate community and encourage our fellows to do the same, to be active members in strengthening the entire climate and innovation ecosystem in Houston. All boats rise together in the rising sea that is Houston’s climate and innovation ecosystem.

HETI: What are you most looking forward to with the upcoming launch of Houston’s 2024 Cohort?

JP: I’m looking forward to getting started – welcoming our first cohort into Houston and showing the rest of the country that Houston can hold its own when it comes to hard tech and world-changing innovation.

———

This article originally ran 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.

Rawand Rasheed, the CEO and founder of Helix Earth Technologies, joins the Energy Tech Startups podcast. Photo via LinkedIn

From NASA to HVAC: How this Houston tech startup is revolutionizing energy-efficient air conditioning

Q&A

Excessive energy consumption in air conditioning systems is a pressing issue with far-reaching implications for carbon emissions and climate change.

Rawand Rasheed, the CEO and founder of Helix Earth Technologies, is at the forefront of addressing this challenge. With a distinguished background as an aerospace engineer with NASA, Rawand’s expertise is now channeled towards the built environment and heavy industries.

In a recent episode of Energy Tech Startups, we dive into how Rawand’s journey from space technology innovations is now revolutionizing energy consumption in air conditioning systems.


In an era where the urgency to combat climate change is palpable, innovators like Rawand Rasheed are making monumental strides in bridging the gap between space-age technology and sustainable solutions for our planet. Drawing from her unique experiences at NASA and her unwavering commitment to the environment, Rawand's work with Helix Earth Technologies exemplifies the transformative potential of cross-disciplinary expertise. As we witness the evolution of her groundbreaking technology in the HVAC sector, it serves as a potent reminder that with determination, innovation, and a clear vision, we can indeed reshape our world for the better. The future of energy-efficient air conditioning, and by extension, a more sustainable world, is on the horizon, and pioneers like Rawand are leading the way.

Energy Tech Startups: How did your experience at NASA inspire your work in decarbonization and HVAC?

Rawand Rasheed: At NASA, we often faced unique challenges that required innovative solutions, especially in space. One such challenge was fighting fires in space using a micrometer-sized droplet spray of water. This led us to develop an efficient filter that could capture these small droplets without any moving parts. This technology, initially designed for space, turned out to have significant implications for climate tech, particularly in capturing and filtering air streams.

ETS: How does your technology help in reducing energy consumption in air conditioning systems?

RR: Our technology can significantly reduce air conditioning energy loads, cutting them by over 50%. It works by absorbing more from air streams, making the cooling process more efficient. Currently, we're focusing on commercial HVAC systems and are close to scaling our system to a commercial unit. Within the next year, we aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of our system at this scale through pilot projects.

ETS: How did your early life shape your entrepreneurial aspirations?

RR: Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the power of determination and hard work. Starting from scratch, both culturally and financially, and achieving success made me believe that anything is possible. This belief, combined with my passion for the environment and engineering, always fueled my desire to start a company. My graduate studies further solidified this aspiration, merging my interests and leading me to establish my own venture in the realm of environmental engineering.


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This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity. Click here to listen to the full episode. Hosted by Jason Ethier and Nada Ahmed, the Digital Wildcatters’ podcast, Energy Tech Startups, delves into Houston's pivotal role in the energy transition, spotlighting entrepreneurs and industry leaders shaping a low-carbon future. Digital Wildcatters is a Houston-based media platform and podcast network, which is home to the Energy Tech Startups podcast.

"Our focus on sustainability is the right thing to do for our employees, for our customers, and for our communities." Photo courtesy of EthosEnergy

Houston energy leader on why the industry needs to implement circular economy, other sustainable initiatives

Q&A

When Ana Amicarella took the helm of EthosEnergy in 2019, she had no idea of the challenges that awaited her company, the industry, and the world.

But Amicarella, a former synchronized swimmer from Venezuela who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics who has three decades of leadership experience at energy companies, has what it took to steer the ship in the choppy waters that was the pandemic, the ongoing energy transition, and more.

In a discussion with EnergyCapital, she shares how she navigated that difficult time and how important she feels it is that energy companies are committed to reducing their carbon footprints — especially through tapping into the circular economy.

EnergyCapital: How have you led EthosEnergy through the past few difficult years? What were the company’s biggest challenges and how did you address them?

Ana Amicarella: Growing EthosEnergy into a global powerhouse with hundreds of millions in turnover within nine years was a formidable task. Since our inception in 2014, we've expanded to 94 locations with 4,000 employees, becoming a leading provider of rotating equipment services in the power, oil, and gas sectors. However, when I assumed the role of CEO in December 2019, the company had evolved into a complex, unwieldy structure with missed opportunities and unsustainable overheads, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the pandemic, we were already on the path to transformation. COVID-19 accelerated our OneEthos strategy, focused on simplifying our business, fostering a new culture, and strengthening client relationships. Extensive listening exercises were held with staff and customers in March 2020 that led to a restructuring plan that was swiftly approved by the board. On July 1, 2020, we launched the new structure, emphasizing that this transformation went beyond organizational changes. Our simplified OneEthos plan focuses on core strengths, eliminating unprofitable activities, embracing cultural principles, and maintaining an unwavering commitment to quality and consistency for our customers. We've also shifted our perspective on capital expenditures, aligning them with energy transition goals to become the preferred partner for critical rotating equipment, offering assistance with end-of-life equipment and carbon footprint reduction as our key value proposition.

EC: How is EthosEnergy future-proofing its business amid the energy transition?

AA: We believe we have a moral responsibility to take a leading role in shaping a better future for us and for generations to come – essentially, we are trying to "Turn on Tomorrow." Our focus on sustainability is the right thing to do for our employees, for our customers, and for our communities. I like to say that behind our company’s name is a team of people. Behind our customers’ names are teams of people. Together we all share common communities, a common environment, and a common reliance on transparent, ethical practices.

A few years ago, we introduced a framework to help us build growth, financial sustainability and deliver long-term value. Our aim is to create value and improve our economic, social, and environmental impact by focusing in the following six areas: Policies and Procedures, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Environmental Footprint, Engineering Solutions, Alliances and Partnerships, and Third-Party Suppliers. As an example, for Environmental Footprint we are implementing programs to install LED lighting in our facilities, implement more robust environmental recycling and waste reduction plans, and identify other energy efficiency programs around the company. From a third-party supplier’s perspective, we are focused on increasing our spend with minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses. In the last two years, we’ve increased spend in those categories by 35 percent in the US alone. And, we are working towards issuing our first sustainability report in the near future.

EC: How does EthosEnergy help customers shrink their carbon footprint and why is that important to you as a business?

AA: Concerns about climate change have started to exert pressure on conventional business models that follow a linear approach of "take, make, dispose" – a system where we acquire new items, use them, and then discard them when they are no longer needed.

A circular economy approach, on the other hand, disconnects economic activities from excessive material and energy consumption by establishing closed-loop systems where waste and carbon-footprint is minimized, and resources are repeatedly used. Even industries traditionally adhering to linear models, like oil and gas and utilities, can incorporate elements of circularity into their operations. EthosEnergy explores the possibilities that circularity offers to companies in the power generation, oil and gas, and industrial sectors, aiming to revitalize and extend the lifespan of existing assets.

To transition from a linear economy to a circular one, we must focus on three key aspects: optimizing product usage, giving priority to renewable inputs, and effectively recovering by-products and waste.

EC: What sort of technology are you tapping into to help achieve these goals?

AA: The adoption of reusing equipment in the energy industry has room for improvement. There's significant potential for reusing rather than disposing of equipment when it nears decommissioning. Our mission is to offer solutions that are economically, socially, and environmentally beneficial, aimed at prolonging the lifespan of existing equipment. EthosEnergy has already developed a range of solutions for life extension and emissions compliance to help existing assets meet critical targets. This has a noteworthy impact on reducing CO2 emissions in two key ways: first, by avoiding the production of new equipment and thus preventing emissions during manufacturing, and second, by deferring or even eliminating the recycling of older assets.

Additionally, there's an opportunity to enhance the environmental performance of existing assets by increasing their efficiency through regeneration and enabling them to operate with lower-carbon alternative fuels like hydrogen. We've actively collaborated with a university in Italy, Politecnico di Torino, on this front, recognizing that partnerships between universities and industries will play a pivotal role in shaping our future.

We firmly believe that greater collaboration and alignment between business, social, and environmental factors are essential for achieving success in these endeavors.

EC: What’s your leadership style and how do you navigate the challenges that come with being a female CEO in a male-dominated industry?

AA: I would best describe my leadership style as inclusive and engaging. I firmly believe in the power of teamwork and fostering a culture where diverse voices are not only heard but valued. My leadership approach is rooted in transparency, open communication, and a commitment to empowering individuals within the organization to contribute their unique perspectives and talents.

In a male-dominated industry, being relentless is a necessity. I approach challenges with unwavering determination and persistence. I use adversity as motivation to push forward and break down barriers. My relentless pursuit of excellence sets an example for my team and reinforces the idea that gender should never limit one's aspirations.

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This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

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Houston startup secures $5M to turn oilfield wastewater into critical minerals

fresh funding

Houston-based startup Altillion has secured $5 million in seed funding to accelerate the commercialization of its proprietary IRIS and ALIX technologies, which convert oilfield-produced water into valuable minerals.

San Francisco-based EIC Rose Rock and Houston-based Flathead Forge led the round. Altillion says the funding will go toward pilot facilities and commercial deployments as the company looks to scale in the U.S.

“Altillion’s efficient and scalable technologies are needed more than ever to reshape critical mineral recovery and facilitate beneficial use of oilfield brines,” Jay Keener, Altillion’s CEO and co-founder, said in a news release. “We’re uniquely positioned to provide a stable, domestic supply of the critical minerals needed for electronics, batteries, healthcare and national defense technologies. This investment from EIC Rose Rock and Flathead Forge enables us to strategically accelerate this impact and is very timely given the current geopolitical dynamics.”

Altillion's IRIS and ALIX platforms extract minerals like iodine, lithium and copper from oilfield-produced water, geothermal brines and salars. This process allows companies to unlock new sources of revenue while also boosting the domestic critical minerals supply chain. The company announced earlier this summer that it will launch a feasibility project in the Permian Basin and aims to develop a path to commercial-scale implementation in the field.

“We are excited to partner with Altillion to scale and deploy these world-class technologies to access the vast wealth hidden in wastewater,” David Clouse, Managing Director of EIC Rose Rock, added in the release. “With Altillion, we’re expanding our ability to empower the energy industry to domestically source the critical minerals America needs for a robust economy and supply chain.”

Altillion was founded by Keener and COO Scott Buckwald in 2023. Keener previously founded KDH Trading, where Buckwald also serves as COO, according to his LinkedIn page.

Houston's KBR to provide tech for Singapore SAF plant

SAF agreement

Houston engineering and technology contractor KBR has been picked as the technology provider for what’s expected to be Asia's first commercial-scale ethanol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant.

The proposed plant on Jurong Island in Singapore is being developed by Keppel Ltd.’s Infrastructure Division and Aster Chemicals and Energy. KBR will provide technology licensing and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) services based on its PureSAF technology.

The plant has a planned production capacity of up to 100,000 tons of SAF per year. The plant is subject to final investment decisions and regulatory approvals.

“We are looking forward to working with Keppel and Aster on this key project and to support Singapore’s ambition of becoming Asia’s leading SAF hub and advancing the ongoing efforts to decarbonize the country’s aviation ecosystem,” Stuart Bradie, KBR president and CEO, said in a news release.

According to KBR, its PureSAF Technology can process multiple feedstocks like bioethanol, syngas, carbon dioxide and hydrogen and convert them to SAF, diesel and gasoline.

The technology was developed by Swedish Biofuels AB and commercialized by KBR.

“KBR’s PureSAF is a feedstock-flexible, bankable technology that is designed to deliver a 100% drop in jet fuel, ready to power aircraft without blending,” Bradie added in the news release. “We are constantly innovating our SAF solution to make it compatible with feedstock availability in different regions and to enable the aviation industry to transition to low-carbon jet fuel with a cost-optimized approach.

KBR has also entered into a memorandum of intent with Keppel’s Infrastructure Division, which states that the companies will collaborate again on decarbonization efforts across biofuels, plastic recycling, digitalization via AI, and SAF.

KBR announced in October that it would spin off its Mission Technology Solutions business, nicknamed SpinCo. The scaled-down KBR, nicknamed RemainCo, would concentrate solely on sustainability technology and services designed to reduce carbon emissions and support energy transition efforts. SpinCo named its new CEO and CFO earlier this month.

Houston energy expert discusses why hydrogen still has a future

Guets Column

Not long ago, hydrogen was hailed as the next big thing in clean energy. Investors poured in, and countries from Japan to Germany built ambitious hydrogen strategies. It wasn’t a new discovery; hydrogen has been used for over a century in refineries and fertilizers, but it suddenly found itself reborn as the world began working toward decarbonization.

When hydrogen burns, the only byproduct is water. Green hydrogen, produced with renewable power, could replace fossil fuels in everything from trucks to ships to steel mills. But the momentum has cooled. Costs remain stubbornly high, several projects have been delayed or canceled, and policy support has wavered. In the U.S., a change in administration has created uncertainty. In Europe, some governments are slowing funding or revising hydrogen mandates. Even the International Maritime Organization (IMO) recently postponed a key vote on fuel-carbon standards.

Yet as Mike Graff , former Chairman and CEO of American Air Liquide, said in an Energy Forum episode with Ed Emmett at Rice University’s Baker Institute, “The world is always looking to make sure that energy is first available, it’s affordable, and then it’s clean. And I see hydrogen over time evolving in that manner.” He also noted that “companies have produced hydrogen and utilized hydrogen for over 100 years, and they’ve done that very safely… I think we can continue that moving forward.”

China has doubled down on hydrogen as part of its industrial strategy, building massive electrolyzer manufacturing capacity and funding dozens of pilot projects across transportation and heavy industry. Japan and South Korea also stand out as examples of how sustained policy support can drive hydrogen progress.

Where Hydrogen Fits Today

To understand hydrogen’s role now, it helps to remember what it actually does. About 76 percent of global hydrogen is produced from natural gas and used in refineries, fertilizer plants, and chemical production. This so-called “gray hydrogen” is essential but carbon-intensive.

What’s new is the rise of low-carbon hydrogen, “blue” hydrogen made from natural gas with carbon capture, and “green” hydrogen produced by splitting water with renewable electricity. These methods are expensive, but they’re growing. According to the International Energy Agency, global low-emissions hydrogen output rose about 10 percent in 2024.

Hydrogen is also expanding beyond industry. As Graff explained, it already powers thousands of forklifts in warehouses across the U.S. and is beginning to appear in commercial trucking, locomotives, and even aviation prototypes. “You can now drive 600 to 800 miles on a hydrogen fuel-cell truck,” he noted, “and refuel in 30 minutes, just like you would refill for diesel.”

The Cost Challenge and a Gulf Coast Opportunity

So why the slowdown? One word: economics.

Even with generous tax credits, green hydrogen can cost two to three times more than conventional fuels. Electrolyzers are still expensive, though costs are falling as Chinese suppliers introduce low-cost alternatives.

Infrastructure is another hurdle. Pipelines, storage, and fueling networks need to be built from scratch.

But those same challenges point to opportunity, especially along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The region already has one of the world’s largest hydrogen pipeline systems and a well-established energy infrastructure. Texas, in particular, has a head start. It already hosts nearly 1,000 miles of hydrogen pipelines, about 64 percent of the U.S. total, and some of the world’s largest hydrogen storage sites at Moss Bluff, Spindletop, and Clemens. Out of 140 hydrogen plants operating nationwide, 43 are in Texas, supported by extensive refining and natural gas infrastructure. This combination of assets gives the Gulf Coast an unmatched foundation to scale low-carbon hydrogen and integrate production, storage, and end use across industries.

As Ken Medlock , Senior Director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute, explains in his report: Developing a Robust Hydrogen Market in Texas, Texas has all the critical elements needed to lead in a low-carbon hydrogen economy, including existing infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and proximity to industrial demand centers. That combination gives it a distinct advantage in scaling up hydrogen production and use.

Governments around the world are showing renewed confidence in hydrogen. The European Commission awarded nearly €3 billion to 13 major projects, while Japan and South Korea continue expanding fueling networks. China is leading one of the most ambitious buildouts, with more than 50 planned hydrogen projects and a rapidly growing fleet of fuel-cell vehicles. Despite recent setbacks, global investment has surpassed $100 billion, and projects in places such as Chile, where strong renewables and low-cost Chinese equipment help make projects feasible, are moving toward final investment decisions.

What Comes Next

Hydrogen’s future won’t depend on replacing every fuel, but on filling the gaps where batteries and biofuels fall short.

Transportation: This is where momentum is strongest today. Batteries dominate cars, but hydrogen fuel cells excel in heavy trucks, ships, and planes. As Graff noted, “You can design a commercial vehicle with the same utility as diesel but powered by hydrogen.” Airbus and Boeing are testing hydrogen propulsion concepts, and several ports are experimenting with hydrogen bunkering for cargo ships.

Industry: Steel, cement, and chemicals account for a quarter of global emissions. Hydrogen-based direct-reduced-iron (DRI) steelmaking is being piloted in Europe and Asia and could transform how these materials are produced at scale.

Storage: Hydrogen can store energy for days or weeks, serving as backup for renewables like wind and solar. But storage remains very costly and may only prove viable for the “last mile” of greenhouse gas reduction or grid stability.

These uses may sound niche, but that’s how technologies scale. They start small, gain an economic foothold, and expand as costs decline.

Conclusion

Hydrogen's early, perhaps irrational, exuberance may have cooled, but amidst the rubble of cancelled projects are the beginnings of an industry that could play a vital niche role on the journey towards a lower carbon intensity energy future. As costs fall and infrastructure around the world expands, hydrogen's role will expand into the nooks and crannies of the energy industry.

It won't replace every fuel, but it doesn't have to. Success will come from steady, project-by-project progress.

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Scott Nyquist is a senior advisor at McKinsey & Company and vice chairman, Houston Energy Transition Initiative of the Greater Houston Partnership. The views expressed herein are Nyquist's own and not those of McKinsey & Company or of the Greater Houston Partnership. This article originally appeared on LinkedIn.

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