Houston energy leader wins hydrogen program's competition

top project

The University of Houston's new hydrogen program selected an Houston executive's team as the top project of the course. Photo via Getty Images

An executive from Houston-based SCS Technologies is celebrating a win from his time at the University of Houston Hydrogen Economy Program.

Cody Johnson, CEO of SCS Technologies, a provider of CO2 measurement systems, petroleum LACT units, and methane vapor recovery units, was on the winning 2024 Spring Capstone Project team for the UH program with the project, "Business Roadmap for Utilizing Hydrogen in Houston." The presentation outlined possible profits of $1.8 billion over the contract life with $180 million in green H2 investments.

The winning capstone project demonstrated the implementation of decarbonization processes. It included the enhancement of “capacity utilization in existing industrial hydrogen production along the Houston Ship Channel through amine capture technology,” according to a news release.

The team also identified business opportunities in producing ammonia as a liquid carrier by using the Haber-Bosch process that would leverage maritime ammonia tanker fleets to ship to Western Europe and Northeast Asia markets.

"It was an honor to collaborate with my Hydrogen Economy Program teammates to explore business opportunities using existing technologies to produce clean hydrogen and reinvest profits to further advance decarbonization efforts in the future," Johnson says in a news release. "I extend my gratitude to the University of Houston for assembling top-notch resources on the critical topic of clean hydrogen production. By bringing together students, corporate leaders, engineers, and scientists, we are able to join forces to accelerate the renewable hydrogen economy."

Cody Johnson is the CEO of SCS Technologies, a provider of CO2 measurement systems, petroleum LACT units, and methane vapor recovery units. Photo courtesy of SCS

UH’s Hydrogen Economy Program helps energy professionals and students strategically at the world’s energy hub in the Houston area. The program provides a forum for information from faculty and industry leaders. Participants in the University of Houston Hydrogen Economy Program can develop a capstone project by using knowledge from the completed course and then present a business plan for a clean hydrogen start-up venture. The projects were evaluated by a panel of judges after class presentations.

"At the University of Houston, we are committed to advancing the energy transition by bringing diverse skills and knowledge together," Alan Rossiter, executive director of external relations and educational program development for UH Energy, says in a news release. "The Hydrogen Economy Program is one of the many ways we achieve this. With the new cohort beginning in August and registration now open, we look forward to working with a new group of passionate, curious, and intelligent energy professionals and students."

The Hydrogen Economy is a part of UH Energy's Sustainable Energy Development portfolio. The Hydrogen Economy Program is a joint effort by UH and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

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Solar power and storage help save Texans millions on electric bills, CEO tells Senate

price stability

Solar power and battery storage are saving Texans hundreds of millions of dollars on their electric bills, the president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association recently told a congressional committee.

Abigail Ross Hopper, the association’s president and CEO, said in testimony given to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that states like Texas that are adding significant capacity for solar power and battery storage are enjoying lower, more stable prices for electricity.

“Unsubsidized solar is now the cheapest source of electricity in history in much of the country,” Hopper said. “With no fuel costs, solar provides a hedge against natural gas price volatility that continues to cause electricity price spikes.”

“The only way to put downward pressure on prices is by bringing more power online, not less,” she added.

To illustrate the value of solar power and battery storage, Hopper compared two hot summer days in Texas—one in July 2022 and the other in July 2025.

Hopper explained that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) had begun installing solar on its grid in 2022 but had very little battery storage. ERCOT manages 90 percent of the state’s electrical load.

When ERCOT grid conditions buckled under high demand on the highlighted day in 2022, the price of electricity spiked to nearly $1,500 per megawatt-hour, Hopper said.

“Three years later, the amount of solar had increased substantially and was complemented by energy storage,” she said.

On the specified day in 2025, under even greater demand than three years earlier, sizable amounts of solar power, battery storage and wind power kept ERCOT’s midday price of electricity low and stable—around $50 per megawatt-hour. That dollar amount represented a nearly 100 percent decrease compared with the highlighted day in 2022.

Solar and wind supplied nearly 40 percent of Texas’ power during the first nine months of 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Despite the state’s expansion of solar power and battery storage capacity, residential electricity prices in ERCOT’s territory rose 30 percent from 2020 to 2025 and are expected to climb another 29 percent from 2025 to 2030, according to a forecast from the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute.

The increase in electric bills is tied to factors such as:

Higher natural gas prices
Greater demand from AI data centers and cryptomining facilities
Extreme weather
Population growth
Development of new transmission and distribution lines

The strain on ERCOT’s grid is only getting worse. An EIA forecast predicts demand for ERCOT electricity will jump 9.6 percent in 2026, and ERCOT expects a 50 percent jump in demand by 2029.

Spring-based private equity firm acquires West Texas wind farm

power deal

Spring-based private equity firm Arroyo Investors has teamed up with ONCEnergy, a Portland, Oregon-based developer of clean energy projects, to buy a 60-megawatt wind farm southeast of Amarillo.

Skyline Renewables, which acquired the site, known as the Whirlwind Energy Center, in 2018, was the seller. The purchase price wasn’t disclosed.

Whirlwind Energy Center, located in Floyd County, West Texas, comprises 26 utility-scale wind turbines. The wind farm, built in 2007, supplies power to Austin Energy.

“The acquisition reflects our focus on value-driven investments with strong counterparties, a solid operating track record, and clear relevance to markets with growing capacity needs,” Brandon Wax, a partner at Arroyo, said in a press release. “Partnering with ONCEnergy allows us to leverage deep operational expertise while expanding our investment footprint in the market.”

Arroyo focuses on energy infrastructure investments in the Americas. Its portfolio includes Spring-based Seaside LNG, which produces liquefied natural gas and LNG transportation services.

Last year, Arroyo closed an investment fund with more than $1 billion in total equity commitments.

Since its launch in 2003, Arroyo has “remained committed to investing in high-quality assets, creating value and positioning assets for exit within our expected hold period,” founding partner Chuck Jordan said in 2022.

$524M Texas Hill Country solar project powered by Hyundai kicks off

powering up

Corporate partners—including Hyundai Engineering & Construction, which maintains a Houston office—kicked off a $524 million solar power project in the Texas Hill Country on Jan. 27.

The 350-megawatt, utility-scale Lucy Solar Project is scheduled to go online in mid-2027 and represents one of the largest South Korean-led investments in U.S. renewable energy.

The solar farm, located on nearly 2,900 acres of ranchland in Concho County, will generate 926 gigawatt-hours of solar power each year. That’s enough solar power to supply electricity to roughly 65,000 homes in Texas.

Power to be produced by the hundreds of thousands of the project’s solar panels has already been sold through long-term deals to buyers such as Starbucks, Workday and Plano-based Toyota Motor North America.

The project is Hyundai Engineering & Construction’s largest solar power initiative outside Asia.

“The project is significant because it’s the first time Hyundai E&C has moved beyond its traditional focus on overseas government contracts to solidify its position in the global project financing market,” the company, which is supplying solar modules for the project, says on its website.

Aside from Hyundai Engineering & Construction, a subsidiary of automaker Hyundai, Korean and U.S. partners in the solar project include Korea Midland Power, the Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corp., solar panel manufacturer Topsun, investment firm EIP Asset Management, Primoris Renewable Energy and High Road Energy Marketing.

Primoris Renewable Energy is an Aurora, Colorado-based subsidiary of Dallas-based Primoris Services Corp. Another subsidiary, Primoris Energy Services, is based in Houston.

High Road is based in the Austin suburb of West Lake Hills.

“The Lucy Solar Project shows how international collaboration can deliver local economic development and clean power for Texas communities and businesses,” says a press release from the project’s partners.

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