Here are 20+ CERAWeek 2025 events featuring Houston energy leaders

where to be

Here are all the events on CERAWeek's Agora track you can't miss if learning more about Houston energy innovation is your goal. Staff photo

CERAWeek 2025 will host more than 1,400 speakers at its annual energy-focused conference taking place March 10-14, with many hailing from Houston.

Under this year's theme, "Moving Ahead: Energy strategies for a complex world,” panels will tackle topics ranging from policy and regulation, geopolitics, power, grid, and electrification, AI and digital, managing emissions, and more.

Most of the innovation-themed events are organized under the Agora track and will feature many Houston-area startups, universities, companies, and scientists. Here are all the events on the Agora track you can't miss if you want to learn more about Houston energy innovation.

Transition in Action: Energy giants shaping a sustainable future

ExxonMobil's Senior Director, Climate Strategy & Technology Vijay Swarup will examine how major energy companies are driving energy transition goals along with panelists from S&P Global, Aramco Ventures and Gentari Sdn Bhd.

This panel is from 12:30-1 p.m. on Monday, March 10. More info here.

Syzygy Plasmonics | Deploying the World’s Most Economic Biogas to SAF Technology

Hear from Syzygy Plasmonics CEO Trevor Best about how the cleantech company's catalyst and reactor work and how the tools can dramatically reduce the cost of producing SAF from biogas from landfills, wastewater, and dairy farms.

This panel is from 2-2:30 p.m. on Monday, March 10. More info here.

Cemvita | The Future of Bioengineered Feedstocks: A Foresight Perspective

Cemvita CEO Moji Karimi will lead this panel.

This panel is from 4:30-5:15 p.m. on Monday, March 10. More info here.

Innovating with Purpose: Strengthening industrial-academic partnerships

David Dankworth, ExxonMobil's Hydrogen Technology Portfolio Manager, and Brian Korgel, the University of Texas Energy Institute Director, will be joined by leaders from MIT and S&P Global to discuss the crucial relationship between universities and industry in fostering purpose-driven innovation.

This panel is from 8:30–9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More info here.

Solidec | Low-cost, Low-carbon Chemicals from Air

Solidec co-founder and CEO Ryan DuChanois will discuss how the company's approach to producing hydrogen peroxide and other key chemicals can be low-cost and low-carbon, creating a scalable path for a more sustainable chemical industry.

This panel is from 9-9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Collaboration Spotlight: The Carbon Hub: A public-private partnership leading the way to a sustainable carbon economy

Panelists from Rice University, Huntsman Advanced Materials, CERAWeek, The Kavli Foundation, and SABIC will discuss Rice's Carbon Hub's transformative power and what the future looks like for those creating this new carbon economy. Matteo Pasquali, the founding Director of the Carbon Hub, will be featured on the panel.

This panel is from 9:30-10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Rice University | Next-generation Electrolyzers and Electrolysis

Haotian Wang, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University and co-founder of Solidec, will discuss the development of next-generation electrolyzers that enable lower-cost and more energy-efficient carbon capture, chemical manufacturing and critical metal recovery.

This panel is from 9:30–10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

ExxonMobil | Real-world Progress on Building a Low-carbon Business

Schuyler Evans, ExxonMobil's CCS commerical and business development manager low carbon solutions, will speak on how the energy giant is navigating a complex energy transition and share insights into the strategic thinking behind building a new business that helps reduce emissions.

This panel is from 10-10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Enovate.AI | AI-driven Advantage: Automate. Optimize. Decarbonize.

Enovate.AI Chief Experience Officer Rebecca Nye, joined by Last Mile Production, will show how its 3-clicks digital strategy empowers operators to make faster, smarter decisions—reducing emissions, enhancing productivity and unlocking new levels of profitability.

This panel is from 10:30–11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Financing the Future: Scaling clean energy through innovative investment strategies

Jim Gable, president of Chevron Technology Ventures and vice president of innovation, along with Greentown Lab's new CEO Georgina Campbell Flatter, will discuss the bankability of technologies in different geographies, investment opportunities in emerging markets, sources of funding and risk management strategies investors are using. Panelists also include leaders from Siemens Energy, Energy Impact Partners, and S&P Global Commodity Insights.

This panel is from 12:30–1:10 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Sage Geosystems | Geothermal at the Speed of Need: How Sage Geosystems is meeting growing energy demand

Learn from Jason Peart, general manager of strategy and development, how Sage's approach to geothermal technology is tackling the fast-growing energy demands of critical sectors, including data centers, utilities, energy storage, and US Department of Defense projects.

This panel is from 1:30–2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Rice University | Valuing Nature-based Solutions for CO2 Removal

Carrie Masiello, director of the Rice Sustainability Institute, will introduce to the breadth of nature-based solutions possible, explore some of the most exciting opportunities and give guidance on how to think rigorously about matching individual NBS opportunities to specific portfolio needs.

This panel is from 1:30–2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

Square Robot | Bridging the Divide: How Square Robot's tank inspections align corporate strategy with on-the-ground reality

Square Robot CEO David Lamont will discuss how companies can keep their tank assets online by adopting new technology and navigating the challenges of aligning corporate objectives with site-level realities.

This panel is from 3–3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

The Green Gold Rush: A multi-trillion dollar opportunity?

Bobby Tutor, chairman of Houston Energy Transition Initiative and CEO of Artemis Energy Partners, will be joined by leaders from Accenture, S&P Global, and BeyondNetZero to discuss the immense economic potential of climate solutions and highlight the business opportunities created by the transition to a low-carbon economy.

This panel is from 4–4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11. More information here.

ExxonMobil | Applying Technology to Maximize Value in the Permian Basin

James Ritchie, Exxon's vice president upstream technology portfolio, will share the latest technologies being developed and deployed to improve recovery and capital efficiency in the Permian Basin and demonstrate how these technologies and innovations maximize overall value while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water usage.

This panel is from 2:30–3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12. More information here.

Rice University | Plasma Foundry for Scalable Industrial Decarbonization

Aditya Mohite, a Rice professor and the faculty director of the Rice Engineering Initiative for Energy Transition and Sustainability (REINVENTS), will share how The Plasma Foundry, a 1:1 customized accelerator at Rice, is using cold plasma technology and its accelerator model to provide disruptive solutions at scale.

This panel is from 9:30–10:15 a.m. on Thursday, March 13. More information here.

Fervo Energy | Speed and Scale: The Geothermal Decade Is Now

Quinn Woodard Jr., Fervo Energy's senior director, power generation and surface facilities, will discuss how the company is pioneering transformative EGS technology to power data centers, homes and beyond.

This panel is from 10:30–11 a.m. on Thursday, March 13. More information here.

Corrolytics | Digitizing and Revolutionizing Corrosion Detection and Monitoring for Industrial Assets

Anwar Sadek, Corrolytics co-founder and CEO, will share how the company is revolutionizing corrosion detection and monitoring with patented technology to proactively enhance safety, reduce costs and extend asset lifespan.

This panel is from 10:30–11 a.m. on Thursday, March 13. More information here.

Zeta Energy | The Rise of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: A solution to critical metal constraints

Rodrigo Salvatierra, Zeta's chief science officer, will introduce Zeta Energy’s lithium-sulfurized carbon technology, which effectively addresses the key limitations of lithium-sulfur batteries.

This panel is from 3–3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 13. More information here.

Future Cities on the Move: Innovative pathways for sustainable urban mobility

Lisa Lin, Harris County's director of sustainability, will speak on this panel on successful public-private partnerships driving innovation in sustainable transport by leveraging technology and data analytics. She'll be joined by Aberdeen's council co-lead and leaders from S&P Global and GreenCap, based in Cape Town, South Africa.

This panel is from 3:30–4 p.m. on Thursday, March 13. More information here.

Collaboration Spotlight: Building a resilient Gulf Coast energy and chemical sector

Greater Houston Partnership and HETI's Jane Stricker will join Ramanan Krishnamoorti from the University of Houston and leaders from Argonne National Laboratory and SABIC to explore opportunities and pathways to strengthen the US Gulf Coast’s global leadership position in base chemical manufacturing and the national security and economic opportunities that innovation and process integration create.

This panel is from 4:30–5 p.m. on Thursday, March 13. More information here.

From Your Site Articles

Houston-based Solidec took home the top TEX-E price and $25,000 at last year's Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition. Photo courtesy of HETI

50+ teams announced for CERAWeek's annual clean tech pitch competition

CERA pitches

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, the Houston Energy Transition Initiative and the Texas Entrepreneurship Exchange for Energy announced the 30-plus energy ventures and five student teams that will pitch at the 2025 Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition during CERAWeek next month.

The ventures are focused on driving efficiency and advancements toward the energy transition and will each present a 3.5-minute pitch before a network of investors and industry partners during CERAWeek's Agora program.

The pitch competition is divided up into the TEX-E university track, in which Texas student-led energy startups compete for $50,000 in cash prizes, and the industry ventures track.

Teams competing in the TEX-E Prize track include:

ECHO
HEXAspec
HydroStor Analytics
Nanoborne
Pattern Materials

The industry track is subdivided into three additional tracks, spanning materials to clean energy and will feature 36 companies. The top three companies from each industry track will be named. The winner of the CERAWeek competition will also have the chance to advance and compete for the $1 million investment prize at the Startup World Cup in October 2025.

Teams come from around the world, including several notable Houston-based ventures, such as Corrolytics, Rheom Materials, AtmoSpark Technologies, and others. Click here to see the full list of companies and investor groups that will participate.

The pitch competition will be held Wednesday, March 12, at CERAWeek from 1-4:30 pm. An Agora pass is required to attend.

Those without passes can catch more than 50 companies at a free pitch preview at the Ion. Pitches will be followed by private meetings with venture capitalists, corporate innovation groups, industry leaders, and tech scouts. The preview will be held Tuesday, March 11, from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Ion. It's free to attend, but registration is required. Click here to register.

Last year, Houston-based Solidec took home the top TEX-E price and $25,000 cash awards. The startup extracts molecules from water and air, then transforms them into pure chemicals and fuels that are free of carbon emissions. Its co-founder and Rice University professor Haotian Wang was recently awarded the 2025 Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research.

Rice professor and Solidec co-founder Haotian Wang's research enables CO2 to be converted into valuable chemicals and fuels. Photo courtesy Welch Foundation.

Houston clean energy pioneer earns prestigious Welch Foundation award

Awards Season

A Rice University professor has earned a prestigious award from the Houston-based Welch Foundation, which supports chemistry research.

The foundation gave its 2025 Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research to Haotian Wang for his “exceptionally creative” research involving carbon dioxide electrochemistry. His research enables CO2 to be converted into valuable chemicals and fuels.

The award included $100,000 and a bronze sculpture.

“Dr. Wang’s extensive body of work and rigorous pursuit of efficient electrochemical solutions to practical problems set him apart as a top innovator among early-career researchers,” Catherine Murphy, chairwoman of the foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board, said in a news release.

Wang is an associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice. The department’s Wang Group develops nanomaterials and electrolyzers for energy and environmental uses, such as energy storage, chemical and fuel generation, green synthesis and water treatment.

Wang also is co-founder of Solidec, a Houston startup that aims to turn his innovations into low-carbon fuels, carbon-negative hydrogen and carbon-neutral peroxide. The startup extracts molecules from water and air, then transforms them into pure chemicals and fuels that are free of carbon emissions.

Solidec has been selected for Chevron Technology Ventures’ catalyst program, a Rice One Small Step grant, a U.S. Department of Energy grant, and the first cohort of the Activate Houston program.

“Dr. Wang’s use of electrochemistry to close the carbon cycle and develop renewable sources of industrial chemicals directly intersects with the Welch Foundation mission of advancing chemistry while improving life,” Fred Brazelton, chairman and director of the Welch Foundation, said in the release.

Ramamoorthy Ramesh, executive vice president for research at Rice University, added: “We are proud to (Dr. Wang) at Rice. He’s using chemical engineering to solve a big problem for humanity, everything that the Welch Foundation stands for.”

Last year, the Hackerman Award went to Baylor College of Medicine's Livia Schiavinato Eberlin, who's known for her groundbreaking work in the application of mass spectrometry technologies, which are changing how physicians treat cancer and analyze tissues. Read more here.

The inaugural Activate Houston cohort has 11 fellows across energy, materials, life sciences, space, and other sectors. Photo via activate.org

6 energy transition innovators named to inaugural Houston hardtech fellowship cohort

onboarding

A national hardtech-focused organization has named its 2024 batch of innovators, which includes the inaugural Houston-based cohort.

Activate named 62 fellows and 50 companies for is latest class, which spans Berkley, California — where the organization is based, Boston, New York, and Houston. Additionally, Activate Anywhere, the program's virtual and remote cohort, was named. According to Activate, it received over 1,000 applicants.

“People, not ideas alone, move the world forward. It is through the drive and determination of brilliant scientists and engineers that we are witnessing true progress,” says Activate CEO Cyrus Wadia in a news release. “Our current Activate Fellows and alumni are already pioneering innovative solutions that make a measurable difference. We’re thrilled to support the next 62 visionaries who will lead the charge in addressing our most urgent issues through groundbreaking science and technology.”

It's the first year Activate has hosted a Houston-based cohort. The organization initially announced its expansion early last year. The inaugural cohort has 11 fellows across energy, materials, life sciences, space, and other sectors.

The named Houston fellows who are working on energy transition solutions include:

Krish Mehta, founder and CEO of Phoenix Materials, a company that decarbonizes concrete using industrial waste.
Gabriel Cossio, founder and CEO of Nanoscale Labs, which is developing a high-throughput and low-cost nanomanufacturing system.
Matthew McDermott, founder and CEO of Refound Materials, a materials technology company developing more efficient synthesis recipes for accelerated materials discovery.
Alec Ajnsztajn, founder and CEO of Coflux Purification, a company that's creating a product that allows industries and water providers to cheaply remove forever chemicals to provide safe drinking water at a fraction of current energy use.
Ryan DuChanois and Yang Xia , co-founders of Solidec, a Houston-based startup redefining chemical manufacturing.

The rest of the cohort includes:

Meagan Pitcher, co-founder and CEO of Bairitone Health, which brings advanced imaging diagnostics into the home environment.
Wei Meng, co-founder and CEO of LumiStrain, a startup offering novel technology for mechanical strain mapping.
Sonia Dagan of Atolla Tech, which is developing a lidar and machine-learning algorithm for identifying and quantifying airborne insects.
Rodrigo Alvarez-Icaza, founder and CEO of Elysium Robotics, a company that's replacing electric motors with muscle-like actuators to enable massive deployment of highly capable and low-cost robotic systems.
Blake Herren, CEO and Co-founder of Raven Space Systems, which is modernizing composite manufacturing with 3D printing and Industry 4.0 solutions to build the factories of the future.

The 12-week program received a record number of applications, that spanned the campus' degree offerings. Photo courtesy of Rice University

2 sustainability-focused student startups named to Houston accelerator

ready to grow

Rice University's Liu Idea Lab for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, or Lilie, has named eight teams to the second cohort of the Lilie Summer Venture Studio, and two have sustainability as a goal.

According to Rice, the 12-week program received a record number of applications, that spanned the campus' degree offerings.

“We are thrilled to see such a high level of interest and excitement from Rice students for a high-growth venture accelerator,” Kyle Judah, executive director of Lilie, said in a statement. “The diversity and creativity in this year's applications were truly inspiring, and we’re excited to support these promising ventures with the resources and mentorship they need to hit escape velocity and create the next generation of pillar companies for Houston, Texas and the world.”

The selected teams will receive $15,000 in non-dilutive funding from the accelerator, along with access to coworking space and personalized mentorship in the Liu Idea Lab.

Coflux Purification, a patent-pending in-stream module that breaks down PFAS using a novel absorbent for chemical-free water, was named to the cohort, as was Solidec, a technology platform that extracts molecules from water and air, transforms them into pure chemicals and fuels without any carbon emissions.

Here are the rest of the teams for the 2024 Lilie Summer Venture Studio:

Docflow, focused on streamlining residency shift scheduling
JewelVision, building virtual fitting rooms for jewelry e-commerce retailers using generative AI
Levytation, using data science and AI to answer critical questions about sales and customers for coffee shop management
OnGuard, a marketplace to book off-duty police officers and security professionals
Roster, leverages data on athletes in the NCAA Transfer Portal to automatically send updates on players to coaches
Veloci, a running shoe venture that addresses common pains through shoe design

Lilie launched the Summer Venture Studio last year. According to Rice, two out of the six teams selected, Helix Earth Technologies and Tierra Climate, which both also tackle sustainability challenges, raised venture capital funds after completing the accelerator program.

Helix Earth Technologies also went on to earn the inaugural TEX-E Prize at CERAWeek in 2023.

“The track record of our Summer Venture Studio Accelerator speaks for itself, despite being early in our second year," Taylor Anne Adams, head of venture acceleration programs at the Liu Idea Lab, said in a statement. "This is the power of entrepreneurship programming that is designed by founders, for founders, that happens at the Liu Idea Lab.”

Last year, Lilie also named 11 successful business leaders with ties to Houston to its first Lilie’s Leadership Council. Each agreed to donate time and money to the university’s entrepreneurship programs.

———

This article originally ran on InnovationMap.

HEXASpec was founded by Rice Ph.D. candidates Tianshu Zhai and Chen-Yang Lin, who are a part of Lilie’s 2024 Innovation Fellows program. Photo courtesy of Rice

3 Houston sustainability startups score prizes at Rice University pitch competition

seeing green

A group of Rice University student-founded companies shared $100,000 of cash prizes at an annual startup competition — and three of those winning companies are focused on sustainable solutions.

Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship's H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge, hosted by Rice earlier this month, named its winners for 2024. HEXASpec, a company that's created a new material to improve heat management for the semiconductor industry, won the top prize and $50,000 cash.

Founded by Rice Ph.D. candidates Tianshu Zhai and Chen-Yang Lin, who are a part of Lilie’s 2024 Innovation Fellows program, HEXASpec is improving efficiency and sustainability within the semiconductor industry, which usually consumes millions of gallons of water used to cool data centers. According to Rice's news release, HEXASpec's "next-generation chip packaging offer 20 times higher thermal conductivity and improved protection performance, cooling the chips faster and reducing the operational surface temperature."

A few other sustainability-focused startups won prizes, too. CoFlux Purification, a company that has a technology that breaks down PFAS using a novel absorbent for chemical-free water, won second place and $25,000, as well as the Audience Choice Award, which came with an additional $2,000.

Solidec, a company that's working on a platform to produce chemicals from captured carbon, and HEXASpec won Outstanding Achievement in Climate Solutions Prizes, which came with $1,000.

The NRLC, open to Rice students, is Lilie's hallmark event. Last year's winner was fashion tech startup, Goldie.

“We are the home of everything entrepreneurship, innovation and research commercialization for the entire Rice student, faculty and alumni communities,” Kyle Judah, executive director at Lilie, says in a news release. “We’re a place for you to immerse yourself in a problem you care about, to experiment, to try and fail and keep trying and trying and trying again amongst a community of fellow rebels, coloring outside the lines of convention."

This year, the competition started with 100 student venture teams before being whittled down to the final five at the championship. The program is supported by Lilie’s mentor team, Frank Liu and the Liu Family Foundation, Rice Business, Rice’s Office of Innovation, and other donors

“The heart and soul of what we’re doing to really take it to the next level with entrepreneurship here at Rice is this fantastic team,” Peter Rodriguez, dean of Rice Business, adds. “And they’re doing an outstanding job every year, reaching further, bringing in more students. My understanding is we had more than 100 teams submit applications. It’s an extraordinarily high number. It tells you a lot about what we have at Rice and what this team has been cooking and making happen here at Rice for a long, long time.”

———

This article originally ran on InnovationMap.

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Here are 10+ must-attend Houston energy transition events for Q2 2025

On the Agenda

Editor's note: Spring is here, and this quarter is packed with must-attend events for those in the energy transition sector. Houston plays host to myriad summits, conferences, and expos that you won't want to miss. Mark your calendars and begin registering today. Please note: this article may be updated to include additional events.

March 31-April 2 — World Hydrogen North America 2025

Seize the opportunity to connect with industry leaders from across the hydrogen value chain, fostering long-term business partnerships and exploring potential collaborations. Engage with prominent off-takers, both nationally and internationally, and gain first-hand insights into the latest projects shaping the future of hydrogen in the USA and Canada.

This event begins March 31 at the Marriott Marquis. Click here to register.

April 1-2 — 8th Annual LNG Summit USA

The LNG Summit USA brings together leaders in the LNG sector, who in turn bring solutions to glaring industry challenges. The event addresses key challenges and opportunities within the LNG industry and the broader energy landscape. The conference will also provide insights into alternative energy options that could potentially replace or complement LNG.

This event begins April 1. Click here to register.

April 17 — 2025 UH Energy Symposium Series on Plastics Circularity

Celebrating its 12th year, the UH Energy Symposium Series tackles critical issues impacting the energy sector. This year’s focus on plastics circularity will bring together industry leaders, researchers, and visionaries to explore the intersection of plastics, sustainability, and energy.

This event begins at 8 am on April 17 at UH Student Center South. Click here to register.

April 28-30 — PPDM Energy Data Convention Houston 2025

This flagship conference is dedicated to exploring the latest advancements and trends in energy data, offering opportunities for networking, knowledge exchange, and collaboration. Gain insights into cutting-edge data management practices and how they can enhance operational efficiency, support strategic decision-making, and contribute to achieving long-term objectives. Highlights include keynote presentations from renowned experts, interactive panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and an exhibitor showcase.

This event begins April 28 at Norris Conference Center. Click here to register.

May 12-15 — Enverus Evolve Conference

Staying ahead of the curve in the energy sector is critical. This conference is designed to equip energy leaders with foresight in the energy market, providing cutting-edge technological know-how, sessions and networking opportunities industry leaders, and offering practical guidance on how to apply technology to solve big problems.

This event begins May 12 at Hilton Americas Houston. Click here to register.

May 27-28 — 6th American LNG Forum

Join LNG industry professionals, innovators, and policymakers to discover groundbreaking technologies that are driving the future of liquified natural gas. Topics will include market dynamics and decarbonization strategies, offering attendees the chance to connect, learn, and become part of the LNG revolution.

This event begins May 27 at the Westin Galleria Houston. Click here to register.

May 28-30 — CHARGE North America

This intimate, immersive experience is tailored to forward-thinking energy professionals. The conference includes hands-on interactive workshops led by top strategists; real-world case studies; and insights from leading speakers on resilient branding, consumer expectations, and climate action. Attendees will engage in panel discussions on sustainability and energy diversification and enjoy exclusive networking opportunities with global executives and innovators.

This event begins May 28 at The Ion. Click here to register.

May 29-30 — 5th Annual American Hydrogen Forum

Connect with hydrogen industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers at the American Hydrogen Forum. Discover groundbreaking technologies and strategies focusing on hydrogen fuel cell technology, hydrogen energy, and low-carbon hydrogen solutions.

This event begins May 29 at the Westin Galleria Houston. Click here to register.

June 4-5 — 2025 AWS Energy Symposium

The fourth annual AWS Energy Symposium is the premier AWS event for the energy industry. Hear from leading energy and utility customers, partners, and startups about how they're using AWS to scale innovation and transform their organizations. The event is invitation only and is geared toward senior leaders and director-level executives from across the energy value chain. Click here to submit a registration request.

June 11-12 — Energy Projects Conference & Expo

The Energy Projects Conference & Expo (EPC Show) is the largest event in North America for professionals working at the heart of major energy projects. The show will bring together five leading conferences under one roof for the first time, uniting 3,000-plus engineering, construction, commissioning, supply chain, operations, and maintenance professionals. Conference subjects span LNG exporting, hydrogen and ammonia, midstream, petrochem and refining, and sustainable aviation fuels.

This event begins June 11 at the George R Brown Convention Center. Click here to register.

June 25-26 — Carbon Capture Technology Expo

Tackling climate change is one of the biggest global challenges that requires immediate action, and many industrial sectors are now looking to new technology to help meet net-zero emission targets. The Carbon Capture Technology Expo is North America's leading event for carbon capture, utilization, and storage. The expo offers opportunities to network with industry frontrunners and best-in-class solution providers.

This event begins June 25 at NRG Center. Click here to register. It is co-located with the Hydrogen Technology Conference & Expo North America. Expo passes are free.

8 Houston energy companies land on Time's top greentech list for 2025

top honor

The accolades keep rolling in for Houston-based Fervo Energy, a producer of geothermal power.

Fervo lands at No. 6 on Time magazine and Statista’s new list of America’s Top GreenTech Companies of 2025. The ranking recognizes sustainability-focused companies based on factors such as impact, financial strength, and innovation.

Time notes that Fervo broke ground in 2023 in Utah on what the company claims will be the world’s largest geothermal plant. The plant is scheduled to start supplying carbon-free electricity to the grid next year and to reach its 400-megawatt capacity in three years.

“Technologies like this only make a difference if we deploy them at large-scale in a way that can reduce carbon emissions and increase the reliability of the grid,” Fervo CEO Tim Latimer told Time in 2023.

The startup was named North American Company of the Year by research and consulting firm Cleantech Group for 2025. Fervo topped the Global Cleantech 100, Cleantech Group’s annual list of the world’s most innovative and promising cleantech companies.

Last year, Fervo also made Time’s list of the 200 Best Inventions of 2024. Fervo was recognized in the green energy category for its FervoFlex geothermal power system.

Founded in 2017, Fervo is now a unicorn, meaning its valuation as a private company exceeds $1 billion. The startup’s valuation is estimated at $1.4 billion. According to PitchBook data, the company raised $634 million in the fourth quarter of 2024.

In all, eight Houston-area companies appear among the top 250 greentech companies ranked by Time and Statista. Other than Fervo, they are:

No. 43 Lancium Technologies, an energy storage and distribution company
No. 50 Solugen, a producer of sustainable chemicals.
No. 56 Quaise Energy, which specializes in terawatt-scale geothermal power.
No. 129 Plus Power, a developer, owner and operator of battery storage projects.
No. 218 Dream Harvest, which promotes sustainable vertical farming.
No. 225 Cemvita, which uses synthetic biology to convert carbon emissions into bio-based chemicals.
No. 226 Syzygy Plasmonics, which decarbonizes chemical production.

Vermont-based BETA Technologies claimed the No. 1 spot. The company manufactures electric aircraft.

Top takeaways from CERAWeek and more energy transition news to know

Trending News

Editor's note: As we approach the end of March, it's time to look back at the hottest energy transition news from the second half of the month. Here are the top five trending EnergyCapital stories from March 14-28, from CERAWeek key takeaways to a look at the Texas grid vs. extreme weather.

1. Houston energy expert shares key takeaways from CERAWeek 2025

Environmental services firm names Houston energy leader to board

Barbara Burger shares her CERAWEEK takeaways with EnergyCapital. Courtesy photo

What a difference a year makes. I have been coming to CERAWeek for as long as I can remember and the Agora track within CERAWeek since it originated. Although freshness likely distorts my thinking, I cannot remember a CERAWeek that seemed so different from the previous year's than this one.

This certainly isn’t a comprehensive summary of the conference, but some of my key take forwards from last week's events. Continue reading Barbara J. Burger's takeaways.

2. Houston-led project earns $1 million in federal funding for flood research

A team of Texas researchers has landed a nearly $1 million NSF grant to address rural flood management challenges with community input. Photo via Getty Images.

A team from Rice University, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant under the CHIRRP—or Confronting Hazards, Impacts and Risks for a Resilient Planet—program to combat flooding hazards in rural Texas.

The grant totals just under $1 million, according to a CHIRRP abstract. The proposal includes work that introduces a “stakeholder-centered framework” to help address rural flood management challenges with community input. Continue reading.

3. Can the Texas grid handle extreme weather conditions across regions?

Texans are facing extreme weather at every turn — can the grid withstand these events? Photo via heimdallpower.com

From raging wildfires to dangerous dust storms and fierce tornadoes, Texans are facing extreme weather conditions at every turn across the state. Recently, thousands in the Texas Panhandle-South Plains lost power as strong winds ranging from 35 to 45 mph with gusts upwards of 65 mph blew through. Meanwhile, many North Texas communities are still reeling from tornadoes, thunderstorms, and damaging winds that occurred earlier this month.

With the extreme weather conditions increasing in Texas and nationally, recovering from these disasters will only become harder and costlier. When it comes to examining the grid’s capacity to withstand these volatile changes, we’re past due. As of now, the grid likely isn’t resilient enough to make do, but there is hope. Continue reading Sam Luna's column here.

4. CERAWeek announces winners of annual clean tech pitch competition

The teams at this year's Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition have collectively raised $435 million in funding. Photo courtesy of CERAWeek

Teams from around the world and right here in Houston took home prizes at the fourth annual Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition at CERAWeek on March 12. The fast-paced event, put on by Rice Alliance, Houston Energy Transition Initiative and TEX-E, invited 36 industry startups and five Texas-based student teams focused on driving efficiency and advancements toward the energy transition to present at 3.5-minute pitch before investors and industry partners during CERAWeek's Agora program. The competition is a qualifying event for the Startup World Cup, powered by Pegasus Venture, where teams compete for a $1 million investment prize.

The teams at this year's Energy Venture Day have collectively raised $435 million in funding. Rice University student teams took home two of the three top prizes in the competition.Continue reading.

5. New report shows Texas led nation in solar and battery growth in 2024

Texas outpaced all other states in various categories of power generation in 2024, according to a new report from Ember, an energy think tank. File photo

The winds of change in power generation are sweeping through Texas.

Texas outpaced all other states in various categories of power generation in 2024, according to a new report from Ember, an energy think tank. The report shows that Texas contributed more (12 terawatt-hours) to the country’s 64 terawatt-hour rise in solar generation last year than any other state. Continue reading.

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