The Greater Houston Partnership celebrates our members making important announcements and sharing news about their operations and impact in our community. Learn more about some of those announcements over the last month below. 

Business Moves

• The AES Corp. is doubling its Houston office space and plans to expand its renewable energy talent pool to over 100 employees to hit its energy transition goals.  

• Bechtel Energy Inc. opens its new Houston offices in the Westchase District and will finish moving its employees to the new location by the summer.  

• Comcast RISE returns to Houston to award business support grants, providing $500,000 in grants plus technology make-overs, marketing support, coaching and education resources. 

• H-E-B expands to Katy-Fulshear area, boasting a 121,179-square-foot floor plan. 

• LyondellBasell secures 208 megawatts of renewable energy capacity from a solar park in Germany, aiming to purchase at least half of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.  

• Mitsubishi joins the Houston-based Starlab Space LLC joint venture as a strategic partner and equity owner to drive innovation and catalyze advancements in space exploration. 

Education 

• Houston Community College plans to reopen its associate degree program for students working to become registered nurses after a closure.  

• Prairie View A&M University receives a donation of nearly $1.68 million from BP and Shell to create an energy trading program.  

• Rice University breaks ground on $76 million Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall to create an arts district. 

• The University of Houston has launched its latest micro-credential course that focuses on how AI and robotics can be used in inspection processes for the energy industry. 

Health Care 

• Houston Methodist and HCA Houston Healthcare continue expansions in the northwest Houston area with over 11 new locations.  

• The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Institute for Data Science in Oncology (IDSO) have announced its inaugural cohort of 33 scientists, clinicians, and staff to advance collaborative projects that will bring the power of data science to decisions made at the hospital. 

Energy Transition 

• BP and Baker Hughes have facilitated a large, full-scale series of studies on emissions abatement technology, flare.IQ, to quantify methane emissions from its flares.

• Chevron and University of Houston leaders are appointed to federal emissions reductions committee for the first time, joining the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Technology Innovation Advisory Committee (ITIAC).  

• EnCap Energy Transition Fund, sponsored by Encap Investments, has launched a platform that will take minority equity stakes in battery storage systems, solar energy systems, and other energy transition projects in the U.S.  

• Exxon Mobil announces a pilot project to capture carbon directly from the air. 

Innovation 

• Gulf Coast Authority approves purchase agreement with Pearland, granting Pearland to treat water flowing down the GCWA’s American Canal from the Brazos River and reducing the city’s dependence on Houston water. 

• NASA continues to develop its emerging Exploration Park, agreeing to lease 207 of the development’s 240 acres for both commercial and space defense manufacturing. 

Transportation 

• United Airlines introduces new nonstop flight to Medellin, Colombia for the first time ever this fall, bringing United to 52 routes from Houston to Latin America alone. 

• Rice University has partnered up with the Texas Department of Transportation's ConnectSmart program to help students find eco-friendly travel options in the Houston area. 

If you are a member and want us to help communicate news about your organization, please send a press release or information about the announcement to [email protected] and we will share it with our content team for possible inclusion in an upcoming roundup. Learn more about Partnership membership.