Top Houston energy teams, individuals, and companies honored at annual awards

meet the winnenrs

ALLY Energy celebrated over 50 honorees at its annual awards event. Photo via LinkedIn

The brightest stars in Houston's energy community celebrated wins at an annual awards event this week.

ALLY Energy, a company that works with its clients to make the energy industry more equitable, hosted its seventh annual GRIT Awards and Best Energy Workplaces on October 26 — and named its prestigious winners. EnergyCapitalHTX, as well as its sister site InnovationMap, was a media partner for the event.

“Every year, we are astounded at how many impressive, committed people are demonstrating leadership and grit in their work to advance the energy transition and build more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces,” ALLY Energy CEO Katie Mehnert says in a news release naming the finalists. “This year is no exception. This is the time to celebrate so many crucial achievements that may otherwise go overlooked in the energy sector and in broader society.”

In addition to naming its winners, ALLY celebrated three Lifetime Achievement Award honorees who have distinguished careers championing change in energy and climate in the private or public sector in the areas of technology, policy, and workforce: John Berger, CEO of Sunnova Energy; Rhonda Morris, vice president and chief human resources officer of Chevron; and Amy Chronis, vice chair, US energy and chemicals leader, and Houston managing partner at Deloitte.

The big winners of 2023 are as follows.

The Professional Award

Alex Loureiro, Scientific Director at EnerGeo Alliance
Crystal McNack, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisor at Enbridge Inc.
Dani Milling, Gulf of Mexico Environmental Engineer & Mexico HSE Coordinator at Chevron
Katie Zimmerman, Decarbonization Director, Americas at Wood
Mark Klapatch-Mathias, Sustainability Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Natalie Valentine, Director - Business Performance at Worley
Syed Fahim, Global ESG Lead at SLB
Tane Bates, Regional Operations Manager at Certarus LTD
Ujunwa Ojemeni, Senior Policy Advisor - Energy Transition & Technical Assistance Delivery at E3G - Third Generation Environmentalism

The Executive Award

Cara Hair, SVP of Corporate Services, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Helmerich & Payne
Emma Lewis, Senior Vice President USGC Chemicals & Products at Shell
Jeremy Campbell-Wray, Strategic Accounts and Enterprise Growth Market Executive at Baker Hughes
Maggie Seeliger, SVP & Global Head of Strategy, Energy & Resources at Sodexo
Max Chan, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development Officer at Enbridge
Megan Beauregard, Chief Legal Officer, Secretary, and Head of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at Enel North America, Inc.
Sarah Delille, Vice President of US Country Management at Equinor
Whitney Eaton, EVP, People & Sustainability at TGS Energy

The JEDI Award

Jason Limerick, Sustainability Strategy Lead at Woodside Energy
Melina Acevedo, Associate & Partnerships Lead at DE Shaw Renewable Investments

The Entrepreneur Award

Charli Matthews, CEO at Empowering Women in Industry
Mike Francis, Co-Founder and CEO at NanoTech

The ESG & Climate Champion Award

Andrea Hepp, Deal Lead at Shell
Brittney Marshall, Senior Advisor, Climate Strategy and Policy at Woodside Energy
Gabriel Rolland, Vice President, Corporate QHSE at TGS Energy
Sandhya Ganapathy, Chief Executive Officer at EDP Renewables North America

Gritty Girl Award

Deepasha Baral, Student at the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies

Best Affinity Group, Employee Resource Group Award, sponsored by ChampionX

Baker Hughes
ChampionX
Shell
TPI Composites
Women's Energy Network Houston
Wood Mackenzie
Worley

Best Energy Team Award, sponsored by Ovintiv

Advisian Material Handling
Halliburton Labs
NOV Marketing
Syzygy Plasmonics, Rigel Manufacturing & Launch Team

Best Energy Workplaces Award

Aera Energy LLC
Baker Hughes
ChampionX
EDP Renewables North America
Enel
Global Edge Group
Shell
Southwestern Energy
Sunnova Energy International
TGS Energy
Wood
Woodside Energy

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Here's what you need yo know this week. Photo via Getty Images

3 things to know this week in Houston's energy transition ecosystem

quick catch up

Editor's note: It's a new week — start it strong with three quick things to know in Houston's energy transition ecosystem: Baker Hughes makes headlines for new hydrogen tech and grants, three people to know in energy, and more.

Who to know

Last week, EnergyCapital had three stories introducing you to key players within the energy transition:

Patrick Sullivan, president and of Hawaii-based Oceanit, explained the impact the company is having on the energy transition in Houston and beyond. Read more.
Ken Gilmartin, CEO of Wood, shared his company’s strategic mission for the future and their recent wins in the energy space that are driving the energy transition forward. Read more.
Tania Ortiz Mena was named president of Sempra Infrastructure, which is based in Houston. Read more.

What to attend

Here are two events not to miss this month. Photo via Getty Images

Put these upcoming events on your radar.

October 10-11 — SPRINT Robotics World Conference and Exhibition will show that many robots are in use and that the industry is accelerating and starting to scale. Learn more.
October 30-31 — Fuze is a must-attend event for executives, investors, and founders serious about solving the energy crisis and boosting company efficiency. Learn more.

Baker Hughes makes moves

Missed these storied about Baker Hughes? Photo courtesy of Baker Hughes

As you might have seen, Baker Hughes had two pieces of news last week.

Houston-based energy technology company Baker Hughes is rolling out two new products — pressure sensors for the hydrogen sector.

“Hydrogen plays a key role in the transition to a more sustainable, lower-emissions future but also poses challenges for infrastructure and equipment due to hydrogen embrittlement,” Gordon Docherty says. Read more.

Additionally, the Baker Hughes Foundation revealed details on a $75,000 grant to Houston Minority Supplier Development Council, or HMSDC, and a $100,000 grant to Washington, D.C.-based WEConnect International. HMSDC supports economic growth of minority-owned businesses, and WEConnect International is focused on women-owned companies. Read more.

Ken Gilmartin, CEO of Wood, joins HETI for a Q&A. Photo courtesy of HETI

Q&A: Houston engineering, consulting exec on designing a low-carbon future

the view from heti

Global engineering and consulting firm Wood is a pioneering force in the energy transition landscape.

The Houston Energy Transition Initiative recently sat down with Ken Gilmartin, CEO of Wood, to learn more about the company’s strategic mission for the future and their recent wins in the energy space that are driving the energy transition forward.

Houston Energy Transition Institute: Can you give our audience an overview of Wood and your mission to help reach net-zero?

Ken Gilmartin: We are a company of 36,000 remarkable people delivering some of the world’s most complex and transformative projects for our clients. As an engineering and consulting firm, we’re passionate about delivering net-zero solutions across two key markets, energy and materials.

Our passion derives from our people whose curiosity, skills and expertise have always driven the advancement and transformation of industry, pushing the envelope of what is possible. Sustainability is core to us as engineers and consultants and we take our responsibility in delivering the net-zero solutions critical to the world, very seriously.

We live in the future – designing and delivering facilities today that will operate more effectively, efficiently and sustainably tomorrow by integrating technologies to decarbonize and digital solutions that derive data to ensure this.

HETI: Wood was recently selected as an EPCM partner by Canadian battery materials company Euro Manganese Inc. with a mission to design Europe’s largest high-purity manganese processing facility. How critical is this project to the energy transition?

KG: Hugely critical. As a mineral used in most lithium-ion batteries, it is core to the electric vehicle industry and therefore, the energy transition.

This project is the only significant source of manganese in the European Union today. With mineral reserves of 27 million tonnes, this project could provide up to 20 percent of the projected European demand for high-purity manganese, which will provide battery supply chains with critical raw materials to support the shift to a circular, low carbon economy.

This innovative project holds real significance for Wood as we continue to lead the development of critical mineral projects — with specialist expertise in hydrometallurgy and a passion for designing sustainable energy and materials infrastructure.

HETI: Closer to HETI’s home, what have you got going on in the region in the energy transition space?

KG: As a result of the Inflation Reduction Act and other key government policies and incentives, we’re seeing a significant uptick in the number of decarbonization projects, particularly hydrogen and carbon capture storage (CCS).

Wood is at the forefront of advising our clients on funding opportunities and taking the lead on the development of Department of Energy applications to ensure critical net zero projects go from paper to production. We see ourselves as a collaborator across the entire process, from funding and feasibility to engineering, design, start-up and operations.

Ten years ago, we delivered Century Plant in West Texas, which at the time, was the largest CO2 plant in the world. Our involvement in needle-moving projects in the region hasn’t stopped.

We have near 4000 people in Texas advising and delivering some of the most innovative energy transition projects, including work on the critical CCS and hydrogen hub program proposed right here in Houston and across the U.S. We’re also supporting our clients in the funding and application stages of their direct air capture projects; we’re meeting the demand for low-carbon fuel alternatives in the areas of hydrogen fuel-switching, electrofuels and biofuels; and we’re delivering e-methanol projects along the U.S. Gulf Coast that will target and abate maritime emissions. You name it, we’re doing it.

As the DOE looks to award further funding rounds for hydrogen, carbon capture and industrial decarbonization projects in 2024, we’re excited about the tremendous opportunities this presents for the region and the role we can play in Houston’s future as the world’s energy capital.

Learn more about Wood, and their work in the energy transition.

———

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.

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Energy AI company opens first U.S. office in Houston after Halliburton deal

houston expansion

Building on its partnership with Houston-based oilfield services provider Halliburton, energy-sector AI company Shape Digital recently opened an office at The Ion. It’s the company’s first U.S. location.

Shape Digital’s workforce in Houston includes employees specializing in tech support, business development and client services. The company’s local hiring projections and headcount weren’t available. The new office will be located within Industrious at the Ion, according to Rice Alliance.

A key driver of the new Houston office: The company forecasts North America will account for more than 20 percent of its business in 2027.

“North America is a critical market for industrial innovation, and Houston sits at the center of companies driving that progress,” Caio Sene, vice president of client services at Shape Digital, said in a release. “Growing our presence here allows us to work alongside operators as they look for practical ways to turn existing operational data into clear recommendations for what to do next.”

Shape Digital, which also has offices in Singapore and Brazil, develops decision-making platforms for the oil and gas sector.

The Ion District office gives Shape Digital a presence close to Halliburton’s headquarters. In May, the two companies forged a partnership to combine Halliburton’s Digital Field Solverdecision-making system with Shape Digital’s AI portfolio.

Shape Digital layers AI software atop existing operations data rather than replacing legacy systems or adding new software.

The company’s suite of AI agents draws on more than 200 operations-monitoring algorithms, continually learning from company and industry data. The suite comprises four products: Shape Aura, Shape Lighthouse, Shape Lumen and Shape Reef.

Shape Digital says that by working with a customer’s existing operations data, it can deliver ROI in less than two months without any additional investment in equipment or infrastructure.

The company is a 2021 spinoff of Japan-based Modec. Modec builds, owns, and operates floating offshore oil and gas production facilities. Its Modec America subsidiary is based in Houston.

This article originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.

Houston energy startup names former Cheniere execs to C-suite

new leaders

Houston-based energy infrastructure startup Joulent has brought aboard a new chief financial officer and new chief operating officer—both former executives at Houston-based Cheniere Energy.

The C-suite moves come three months after Joulent raised $1.75 billion from National Grid Ventures.

Michael Wortley joins Joulent as co-president and CFO. Wortley most recently was executive vice president and CFO at Cheniere, an LNG producer and exporter.

In conjunction with Wortley’s hiring, Brian Boland, who was Joulent’s interim CFO, has been named executive vice president, chief investment officer, and head of strategy.

Corey Grindal comes to Joulent as co-president and COO. Grindal most recently was executive vice president and COO at Cheniere.

“As Joulent evolves to meet the growing demand for power infrastructure, our expanded leadership team will help ensure we continue delivering the execution certainty our customers, partners, and investors expect,” Chris James, Joulent’s founder and CEO, said in a press release.

“Corey and Michael are accomplished operators with exceptional records of building and leading world-class energy infrastructure businesses, where they have embedded a culture defined by operational excellence and disciplined execution,” James added.

Joulet builds dedicated power-generating facilities that feed directly into data centers and other power-dependent facilities. This eliminates the need for companies to draw power from grids.

“With an initial multi-gigawatt development portfolio and strategic partnerships across the energy, infrastructure, and data center ecosystem, Joulent is helping remove power constraints to enable the next chapter of American innovation and U.S. reindustrialization,” the company says.

The $1.75 billion minority investment from National Grid Ventures complements Joulent’s existing partnerships.

Joulent, founded in 2023, emerged from stealth mode this summer. The company was founded by investment firm Engine No. 1.

Joulent’s first project, the Project Kilby natural gas facility in West Texas, will be co-located with a Microsoft data center. It’ll deliver about 2.67 gigawatts of power under a 20-year deal between Microsoft and Energy Forge One, a 50/50 joint venture between Chevron and Joulent.

Lithium refiner expands into Houston with new Energy Corridor office

new to hou

Battery-grade lithium carbonate manufacturer Stardust Power has expanded into Houston’s Energy Corridor, the company tells Energy Capital.

The company’s new office will serve as a project execution hub to support operations and planning for the company’s forthcoming lithium refinery in Muskogee, Oklahoma, according to a news release. The Greenwich, Connecticut-based, publicly traded company says the facility will be one of the largest lithium refining operations in the United States. The refinery is expected to have production capacity of up to 50,000 metric tons per year and seeks to address the critical shortage of U.S. lithium refining capacity.

Battery-grade lithium carbonate is commonly used in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems.

The company says it chose Houston as the location for its new execution hub for its rich history of expertise in engineering, a robust energy infrastructure ecosystem, and access to a leading talent pool for engineering, procurement and construction professionals. The Houston project hub will work closely with the company’s existing office in Oklahoma City.

“The Houston office strengthens our operational footprint at a critical phase of development,” Chris Celano, COO of Stardust Power, said in the release. “By building out a dedicated project management hub in one of the most experienced energy markets in the world, we are positioning the Company for execution as we advance the Muskogee refinery.”

Currently, the Houston office plans to accommodate a workforce of about 20 people with the possibility to add staff upon reaching project milestones, according to a representative from the company.

“This expansion reflects our commitment to deliver domestic, battery-grade lithium that supports U.S. energy security and industrial growth,” Celano added in the release.

In August, Stardust Power secured an offtake agreement to supply up to 20,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate by 2030 from the Muskogee, Oklahoma, refinery to New York-based battery technology company Charge CCCV. Stardust reports that the deal adds to a separate non-binding agreement for up to 25,000 metric tons annually for 10 years with an undisclosed global trading company.

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