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Texas loses speed among top EV states, apps open for Greentown program, and more things to know this week

Texas has some room to improve when it comes to EV states, one report found — and more things to know this week. Photo via Getty Images

Editor's note: Dive headfirst into the new week with three quick things to catch up on in Houston's energy transition: applications for a Greentown Labs program has opened, Texas falls flat on a ranking of best EV states, and more.

Texas puts it in park near the bottom of list of best states for EV drivers

You’d think that producing tens of thousands of Teslas might help drive up Texas’ standing among the best states for owning an electric vehicle. To the contrary, Texas ranks among the worst states to be an EV owner.

A new list from EV Charger Reviews puts Texas in the No. 2 position among the worst states for owning an EV. Washington leads the pack of the worst EV states. Topping the list of the best states for EV owners is Maine, followed by Colorado and Vermont. Read more about the methodology.

Big deal: GridBeyond's $55M series C 

GridBeyond,which has its U.S. headquarters in Houston, raised its series C to support its growth in the the United States.

The round closed at €52 million, or around $55 million. Founded in 2010, GridBeyond's AI platform allows businesses to unlock the full potential of energy assets and prioritize sustainability, resilience, and affordability of energy.

"This funding, together with the support of our new partners, will enable us to expand our product offering and strengthen our leadership position in this space," Michael Phelan, co-founder and CEO of GridBeyond, says in a news release. “The newly completed financing round sets GridBeyond on the path to increase the reach of our intelligent energy platform and deliver world leading AI and powerful automation capabilities to smart grid and energy markets across the world." Read more details about the round.

Greentown Labs opens C2V Initiative apps

For the fourth year, the Carbon to Value Initiative, a multi-year collaboration from the Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Greentown Labs, and Fraunhofer USA — has opened applications. The program is looking for "startups at Technology Readiness Level 4-7 that are developing carbontech innovations related to carbon conversion to added-value products; carbon capture; and carbon sequestration and removal," according to Greentown.

The selected cohort will have access to the C2V Initiative’s CLC, an invitation-only group of corporate, nonprofit, and government thought leaders across the energy industry. Startups will also each receive a $10,000 stipend to support their participation in the accelerator. Applications are open through June 21, 2024. To learn more about the program or to apply, click here.

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A View From HETI

A new Houston battery storage facility has come online in just six weeks. Photo courtesy FlexGen

Colorado-based energy storage company SMT Energy and North Carolina-based software company FlexGen have begun operations of Houston IV, a 160-megawatt utility-scale battery storage facility that aims to support the ERCOT grid.

The companies delivered the project in just six weeks, according to a news release. Mississippi-based Irby Construction Company served as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) partner, and CenterPoint Energy will serve as the interconnecting utility.

“FlexGen’s distinctive combination of software automation, our remote operations center, and on-the-ground field expertise all work together to accelerate battery deployment,” Jason Rislov, SVP of operations at FlexGen, said in the release. “What used to take 25-plus weeks took us six. That time saved translates directly into giving the grid and consumers what they need most right now: a more reliable, resilient energy system.”

Houston IV is one of more than 12 projects that SMT and FlexGen have built to connect to ERCOT, according to Energy Storage News.

“Bringing a 160-MW battery storage facility online in just six weeks required disciplined planning, seamless coordination, and an unwavering focus on safety and quality,” Shaun Coleman, project manager at Irby Construction, said in a news release. “The SMT Energy, FlexGen, and Irby Construction teams coordinated engineering, procurement, and construction to keep every workstream aligned, identify challenges early, and maintain safety and quality at an accelerated pace. That integration is critical, not only to delivering projects quickly, but also to ensuring battery storage facilities perform reliably over the long term.”

Houston IV is expected to store and provide enough electricity to power 8,800 homes in Texas annually. In March, SMT Energy secured $135 million in funding for the project from Macquarie and KeyBanc Capital Markets as joint lead arrangers. SMT and FlexGen broke ground to signal the start of the process in May.

In 2023, SMT Energy and joint venture partner SUSI Partners also announced plans to add 10 battery storage projects to Texas, which would double capacity from 100 megawatts to 200 megawatts in the Houston and Dallas areas.

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