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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

Here's 1PoinFive's newest customer on its Texas CCUS project. Photo via 1pointfive.com

Occidental Petroleum’s Houston-based carbon capture, utilization and, sequestration (CCUS) subsidiary, 1PointFive, has inked a six-year deal to sell 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide removal credits to software giant Microsoft.

In a news release, 1Point5 says this agreement represents the largest-ever single purchase of carbon credits enabled by direct air capture (DAC). DAC technology pulls CO2 from the air at any location, not just where carbon dioxide is emitted.

Under the agreement, the carbon dioxide that underlies the credits will be stored in a below-the-surface saline aquifer and won’t be used to produce oil or gas.

“A commitment of this magnitude further demonstrates how one of the world’s largest corporations is integrating scalable [DAC] into its net-zero strategy,” says Michael Avery, president and general manager of 1PointFive. “Energy demand across the technology industry is increasing, and we believe [DAC] is uniquely suited to remove residual emissions and further climate goals.”

Brian Marrs, senior director for carbon removal and energy at Microsoft, says DAC plays a key role in Microsoft’s effort to become carbon-negative by 2030.

The carbon dioxide will be stored at 1PointFive’s first industrial-scale DAC plant, being built near Odessa. The $1.3 billion Stratos project, which 1Point5 is developing through a joint venture with investment manager BlackRock, is designed to capture up to 500,000 metric tons of CO2 per year.

The facility is scheduled to open in mid-2025.

Aside from Microsoft, organizations that have agreed to buy carbon removal credits from 1Point5 include Amazon, Airbus, All Nippon Airways, the Houston Astros, the Houston Texans, and TD Bank.

Occidental says 1PointFive plans to set up more than 100 DAC facilities worldwide by 2035.

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