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Oxy, other hardtech-focused organizations take up leases in Houston innovation hub

moving in

Oxy, Fathom Fund, and Activate have new offices inside the Ion. Photo courtesy of the Ion

The Ion in Midtown has some new tenants taking up residence in its 90 percent-leased building.

Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Fathom Fund, and Activate are the latest additions to the Ion, according to a news release from Rice University and the Rice Real Estate Company, which own and operate the 16-acre Ion District where the Ion is located. With the additions, the building has just 10 percent left up for grabs.

“As the Ion continues to attract leading companies and organizations across industries, it’s clear that our vision of creating a dynamic and collaborative environment for innovation is resonating,” Ken Jett, president of the Rice Real Estate Company and vice president of facilities and capital planning at Rice, says in the release. “We are proud to set the standard for how the workplace can evolve to foster the commercialization and growth of transformative technologies that enhance quality of life in our community and beyond.”

Oxy, which was named a corporate partner of the Ion last year, now has nearly 6,500 square feet on the fourth floor. The build out process is slated to be completed by early 2025.

While Oxy represents the corporate side of innovation, the other two additions have their own roles in the innovation arena. Houston-based Fathom Fund, which launched its $100 million fund earlier this year, is targeting deep-tech venture opportunities and is led by Managing Partners Paul Sheng and Eric Bielke.

Founded in Berkeley, California, Activate, which announced its expansion into Houston in 2023, has officially named its local office in the Ion. The hardtech-focused incubator program recently named its inaugural cohort and opened applications for the 2025 program.

Other recent joiners to the Ion includes Kongsberg Digital, Artemis Energy Partners, CES Renewables, and Eleox.

“The partnerships we’ve forged are vital to shaping the Ion into a vibrant ecosystem for startups, where collaborative innovation is not only driving local economic growth but also positioning Houston as a global leader in the energy transition,” Paul Cherukuri, chief innovation officer at Rice University, says. “With our team leading the programming and activation across the Ion district, we are creating companies that harness cutting-edge technology for the benefit of society—advancing solutions that contribute to social good while addressing the most pressing challenges of our time. This powerful network is redefining Houston’s role in the future of energy, technology, and social impact.”

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This article originally ran on InnovationMap.

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Catalyze has teamed up with Cushman & Wakefield to expand installation of solar panels and battery storage technology. Photo courtesy of Catalyze

Houston renewable energy developer teams up with global commercial real estate biz

collaboration station

Houston-based Catalyze, a developer of independent power systems, has teamed up with commercial real estate services powerhouse Cushman & Wakefield to expand installation of solar panels and battery storage technology at U.S. commercial and industrial properties.

The two companies say the partnership will help owners and tenants of office buildings, warehouses, and other commercial properties reduce utility costs, boost operating income, achieve environmental goals and ease stress on the power grid.

“This partnership marks a significant step forward in our mission to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy among commercial and industrial customers, benefiting both tenants and building owners,” Jared Haines, CEO of Catalyze, says in a news release.

The partnership will enable Cushman & Wakefield to decrease greenhouse gas emissions at facilities it manages for clients as well as its own corporate offices. The real estate sector accounts for about 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions around the world.

“Our strategic partnership with Catalyze is a testament to our shared commitment to decarbonize the built environment by being at the forefront of the clean energy revolution,” says Jessica Francisco, Cushman & Wakefield’s chief sustainability officer. “Together, we are poised to advance the adoption of solar and storage technologies while driving down costs for our clients.”

In May, Catalyze announced that it secured $100 million in financing from NY Green Bank to support a 79 megawatt portfolio of community distributed generation solar projects across the state of New York.

Dow will occupy nearly two-thirds of office space at Midway's CityCentre Six office tower that's currently being built in the Energy Corridor. Photo courtesy of Midway

Dow digs up new office space in Houston's Energy Corridor

moving in

Dow Chemical has signed up to be the anchor tenant at the CityCentre Six office tower under construction in Houston’s Memorial City area.

Dow will occupy nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of the 308,000 square feet of office space at the 19-story building, or about 200,000 square feet. The company will relocate employees there from its Houston Dow Center offices at Enclave Plaza in the Energy Corridor.

The current lease expires in 2026. Dow has leased the Energy Corridor space for 15 years.

Houston-based real estate investor and developer Midway recently broke ground on the $87.5 million, 320,000-square-foot CityCentre Six tower, which will be adjacent to the headquarters of Marathon Oil.

“Dow’s commitment as the anchor tenant has been a driving force behind the project’s strong momentum and underscores the strong leasing demand for CityCentre office space, which remains 100 percent leased,” says Chris Seckinger, vice president of investment and development at Midway. “Their presence not only confirms the tower’s status as a premier business destination but also reflects the confidence leading enterprises have in our vision for the district.”

Photo courtesy of Midway

The new tower, set to be completed in 2026, is one of the latest additions to the 47-acre CityCentre mixed-use development.

“Our plans for CityCentre’s north site have been in the works for almost a decade, and CityCentre Six is a significant step towards realizing our long-term vision for the development,” Seckinger said in a January 2024 news release.

Midway’s CityCentre Seven, a six-story office building and hotel, is also under construction at the mixed-use development. The Four Points by Sheraton Houston West hotel currently occupies the site.

Brookfield Properties announced plans to power its Houston properties with solar energy by 2026. Photo via brookfieldproperties.com

Global real estate manager to tap into solar energy to power Houston portfolio

shine on

Commercial real estate manager Brookfield Properties, a major office landlord in Houston, is plugging into solar energy to power its local portfolio.

The New York City-based company plans to rely on a new-build solar power plant to supply all of the electricity for its 10.3 million-square-foot, 10-building office portfolio in the Houston area. Brookfield’s key properties here include:

  • The 3.1 million-square-foot Allen Center complex
  • The more than 1.1 million-square-foot Heritage Plaza
  • The 1.1 million-square-foot 1600 Smith Street tower
  • The nearly 850,000-square foot TotalEnergies Tower

Laura Montross, vice president of communications for Brookfield Properties, tells Realty News Report that the solar power plant will be operating by 2026.

Each year, the company’s Houston portfolio uses about 90,000 megawatt-hours of electricity, “which is unlikely to take up the total capacity of a new solar power plant,” she says, “so the excess capacity will be available to other buyers or the utility grid operator for purchase.”

Montross says Brookfield is in talks with several developers of solar power plants about the Houston project, but neither a site nor a contractor has been chosen yet.

Brookfield announced June 28 that its entire U.S. office portfolio will run on zero-emissions electricity by 2026. The switch is expected to reduce carbon emissions within the more than 70-million-square-foot portfolio by about 80 percent.

“Instead of taking incremental steps or waiting for others to act, we are completely transforming how we power office buildings throughout the United States,” Ben Brown, managing partner of Brookfield Real Estate, says in a news release.

Brookfield Properties says electricity for the nationwide office portfolio will come from four sources: hydropower (49 percent), solar and wind power (33 percent), and nuclear power (18 percent). Outside Houston, the company maintains a large office presence in the New York City, Los Angeles, Denver, and Washington, D.C. markets.

“Not only will [this strategy] significantly advance our goal of transitioning our entire portfolio to net zero carbon,” Brown says, “but also we are confident that both the increased demand for zero-emissions electricity it will create and the industry precedence it will set will be a game-changer for how state-of-the-art office buildings are powered throughout the country.”

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4 Houston inventors named to prestigious national organization

Top Honor

Houston is home to four new senior members of the National Academy of Inventors.

To be eligible to be an NAI Senior Member, candidates must be active faculty, scientists and administrators from NAI member institutions that have demonstrated innovation and produced technologies that have “brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society,” according to the NAI. The members have also succeeded in patents, licensing and commercialization, and educating and mentoring.

The University of Houston announced that three professors were selected to join the prestigious NAI list of senior members. UH now has 39 faculty members on the NAI list.

“We congratulate these three esteemed colleagues on being named NAI Senior Members,” Ramanan Krishnamoorti, vice president for energy and innovation at UH, said in a news release. “This recognition is a testament to their dedication, research excellence and pursuit of real-world impact by knowledge and technologies. Their achievements continue to elevate the University as a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.”

UH’s new senior members include:

  • Birol Dindoruk, the American Association of Drilling Engineers Endowed Professor of Petroleum Engineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Cullen College of Engineering. He is known for his research in carbon capture and storage, fluid-rock interactions and hydrogen storage. He holds three patents.
  • Megan Robertson, the Neal R. Amundson professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at UH’s Cullen College of Engineering. She is developing new polymers and groundbreaking strategies for recycling and reusing plastics. Robertson currently has three patents and two more patent applications pending.
  • Francisco Robles Hernandez, a professor of mechanical engineering technology at the UH College of Technology. He holds four patents, and several others are under review. His work focuses on carbon materials, including pioneering work with graphene and designs with steel and aluminum used in automotives and railroads.

“Being named a senior member is both an honor and a responsibility, and I appreciate UH for nurturing an environment where creativity and innovation are not just encouraged but expected,” Dindoruk said. “Ultimately, this milestone is not just about past achievements. It is about future opportunities to innovate, collaborate and make a meaningful impact on both industry and society.”

Allison Post, associate director of electrophysiology research and innovations and manager of innovation partnerships at the Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine, also made the list. Post was recognized for her work in biomedical engineering and commitment to advancing cardiovascular care through innovations. Post is the youngest member to be inducted this year.

Other notable Texas honorees include Emma Fan from the University of Texas, Arum Han from Texas A&M and Panos Shiakolas at UT Arlington.

In 2024, Edward Ratner, a computer information systems lecturer in the Department of Information Science Technology at the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering, and Omid Veiseh, a bioengineer at Rice University and director of the Biotech Launch Pad, were named NAI fellows.

The Senior Member Induction Ceremony will honor the 2025 class at NAI’s Annual Conference June 23-26 in Atlanta, Georgia.

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A version of this story first appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.com.

Houston researcher dives into accessibility of public EV charging stations

EV equity

A Rice University professor wants to redraw the map for the placement of electric vehicle charging stations to level the playing field for access to EV power sources.

Xinwu Qian, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice, is leading research to rethink where EV charging stations should be installed so that they’re convenient for all motorists going about their day-to-day activities.

“Charging an electric vehicle isn’t just about plugging it in and waiting — it takes 30 minutes to an hour even with the fastest charger — therefore, it’s an activity layered with social, economic, and practical implications,” Qian says on Rice’s website. “While we’ve made great strides in EV adoption, the invisible barriers to public charging access remain a significant challenge.”

According to Qian’s research, public charging stations are more commonly located near low-income households, as these residents are less likely to afford or enjoy access to at-home charging. However, these stations are often far from where they conduct everyday activities.

The Rice report explains that, in contrast, public charging stations are geographically farther from affluent suburban areas. However, they often fit more seamlessly into these residents' daily schedules. As a result, low-income communities face an opportunity gap, where public charging may exist in theory but is less practical in reality.

A 2024 study led by Qian analyzed data from over 28,000 public EV charging stations and 5.5 million points across 20 U.S. cities.

“The findings were stark: Income, rather than proximity, was the dominant factor in determining who benefits most from public EV infrastructure,” Qian says.

“Wealthier individuals were more likely to find a charging station at places they frequent, and they also had the flexibility to spend time at those places while charging their vehicles,” he adds. “Meanwhile, lower-income communities struggled to integrate public charging into their routines due to a compounded issue of shorter dwell times and less alignment with daily activities.”

To make matters worse, businesses often target high-income people when they install charging stations, Qian’s research revealed.

“It’s a sad reality,” Qian said. “If we don’t address these systemic issues now, we risk deepening the divide between those who can afford EVs and those who can’t.”

A grant from the National Science Foundation backs Qian’s further research into this subject. He says the public and private sectors must collaborate to address the inequity in access to public charging stations for EVs.

Energy expert: Unlocking the potential of the Texas grid with AI & DLR

guest column

From bitter cold and flash flooding to wildfire threats, Texas is no stranger to extreme weather, bringing up concerns about the reliability of its grid. Since the winter freeze of 2021, the state’s leaders and lawmakers have more urgently wrestled with how to strengthen the resilience of the grid while also supporting immense load growth.

As Maeve Allsup at Latitude Media pointed out, many of today’s most pressing energy trends are converging in Texas. In fact, a recent ERCOT report estimates that power demand will nearly double by 2030. This spike is a result of lots of large industries, including AI data centers, looking for power. To meet this growing demand, Texas has abundant natural gas, solar and wind resources, making it a focal point for the future of energy.

Several new initiatives are underway to modernize the grid, but the problem is that they take a long time to complete. While building new power generation facilities and transmission lines is necessary, these processes can take 10-plus years to finish. None of these approaches enables both significantly expanded power and the transmission capacity needed to deliver it in the near future.

Beyond “curtailment-enabled headroom”

A study released by Duke University highlighted the “extensive untapped potential” in U.S. power plants for powering up to 100 gigawatts of large loads “while mitigating the need for costly system upgrades.” In a nutshell: There’s enough generating capacity to meet peak demand, so it’s possible to add new loads as long as they’re not adding to the peak. New data centers must connect flexibly with limited on-site generation or storage to cover those few peak hours. This is what the authors mean by “load flexibility” and “curtailment-enabled headroom.”

As I shared with POWER Magazine, while power plants do have significant untapped capacity, the transmission grid might not. The study doesn’t address transmission constraints that can limit power delivery where it’s needed. Congestion is a real problem already without the extra load and could easily wipe out a majority of that additional capacity.

To illustrate this point, think about where you would build a large data center. Next to a nuclear plant? A nuclear plant will already operate flat out and will not have any extra capacity. The “headroom” is available on average in the whole system, not at any single power plant. A peaking gas plant might indeed be idle most of the time, but not 99.5% of the time as highlighted by the Duke authors as the threshold. Your data center would need to take the extra capacity from a number of plants, which may be hundreds of miles apart. The transmission grid might not be able to cope with it.

However, there is also additional headroom or untapped potential in the transmission grid itself that has not been used so far. Grid operators have not been able to maximize their grids because the technology has not existed to do so.

The problem with existing grid management and static line ratings

Traditionally, power lines are given a static rating throughout the year, which is calculated by assuming the worst possible cooling conditions of a hot summer day with no wind. This method leads to conservative capacity estimates and does not account for environmental factors that can impact how much power can actually flow through a line.

Take the wind-cooling effect, for example. Wind cools down power lines and can significantly increase the capacity of the grid. Even a slight wind blowing around four miles per hour can increase transmission line capacity by 30 percent through cooling.

That’s why dynamic line ratings (DLR) are such a useful tool for grid operators. DLR enables the assessment of individual spans of transmission lines to determine how much capacity they can carry under current conditions. On average, DLR increases capacity by a third, helping utilities sell more power while bringing down energy prices for consumers.

However, DLR is not yet widely used. The core problem is that weather models are not accurate enough for grid operators. Wind is very dependent on the detailed landscape, such as forests or hills, surrounding the power line. A typical weather forecast will tell you the average conditions in the 10 square miles around you, not the wind speed in the forest where the power line is. Without accurate wind data at every section, even a small portion of the line risks overheating unless the line is managed conservatively.

DLR solutions have been forced to rely on sensors installed on transmission lines to collect real-time weather measurements, which are then used to estimate line ratings. However, installing and maintaining hundreds of thousands of sensors is extremely time-consuming, if not practically infeasible.

The Elering case study

Last year, my company, Gridraven, tested our machine learning-powered DLR system, which uses a AI-enabled weather model, on 3,100 miles of 110-kilovolt and 330-kilovolt lines operated by Elering, Estonia’s transmission system operator, predicting ratings in 15,000 individual locations. The power lines run through forests and hills, where conventional forecasting systems cannot predict conditions with precision.

From September to November 2024, our average wind forecast accuracy saw a 60 percent improvement over existing technology, resulting in a 40 percent capacity increase compared to the traditional seasonal rating. These results were further validated against actual measurements on transmission towers.

This pilot not only demonstrated the power of AI solutions against traditional DLR systems but also their reliability in challenging conditions and terrain.

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Georg Rute is the CEO of Gridraven, a software provider for Dynamic Line Ratings based on precision weather forecasting available globally. Prior to Gridraven, Rute founded Sympower, a virtual power plant, and was the head of smart grid development at Elering, Estonia's Transmission System Operator. Rute will be onsite at CERAWeek in Houston, March 10-14.

The views expressed herein are Rute's own. A version of this article originally appeared on LinkedIn.

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