The Greater Houston Partnership celebrates our members making important announcements and sharing news about their operations and impact in our region. Learn more about some of those announcements over the last month below.
Business Moves
- The Public Utility Commission of Texas has approved Entergy Texas to build two new natural gas power plants to meet the growing demand for electricity in Southeast Texas. These plants, near Cleveland, are part of the utility’s Southeast Texas Energy Plan and will add over 1,200 megawatts of power to the grid by mid-2028. Entergy’s investment of $2.4 billion in the projects is expected to generate an estimated $2.8 billion in economic activity and create more than 9,000 construction jobs.
- ExxonMobil has agreed to acquire the technology and U.S.-based assets of Superior Graphite, along with select international offices. The acquisition is a key part of ExxonMobil’s strategy to enter the synthetic graphite market and establish a domestic supply chain for the material, which is a critical component in electric vehicle batteries. The company claims that the synthetic graphite, which can be produced from its existing refining feedstocks, will be more consistent in quality and offer faster charging and longer life than current materials on the market.
- Fervo Energy and Baker Hughes partner to supply geothermal equipment for its Cape Station project in Utah. This project is a flagship initiative to demonstrate geothermal energy as a reliable, carbon-free power source. The first phase of the project is expected to generate 100 megawatts by 2026, with an additional 400 megawatts coming online by 2028 from five new plants. The entire project has the potential to produce about two gigawatts of geothermal power.
- Jacobs Technology is part of a joint venture that was awarded a $1.8 billion NASA contract to support spaceflight operations at the Johnson Space Center. The contract is for a period of up to nine years and will provide key services for missions like the Artemis program.
As a key partner in this contract, Jacobs Technology will be involved in operating the Mission Control Center, developing astronaut training systems, and creating mock-ups and simulations. - Phillips 66 has agreed to acquire the remaining 50% stake in WRB Refining LP from Cenovus Energy Inc. for $1.4 billion in cash. The deal, expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, will give Phillips 66 full ownership of the Wood River and Borger refineries, which it has operated since 2007. Phillips 66 anticipates the acquisition will result in approximately $50 million in annual operational and commercial synergies.
- Texas A&M, Hines, and Buc-ee’s have partnered to construct the Aplin Center on the Texas A&M University campus. The $250 million, 211,724-square-foot facility is being built with a $50 million gift from Buc-ee’s founder and Texas A&M alumnus, Arch “Beaver” Aplin III. The center, managed by Hines, will be a hub for experiential learning in hospitality, retail, and food sciences, and will also serve as a new welcome center for the university. Construction begins in September 2025 and is expected to be completed by February 2028.
- Westlake, a major Houston-based chemical company, plans to move and renovate its headquarters in the Galleria area. The company has filed plans with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to consolidate two existing Uptown offices into a single location at 5444 Westheimer Road. The project, a $19.7 million build-out, will involve a partial renovation of three floors and a full renovation of five floors. The renovations are expected to be completed by late 2026.
Education
- Houston Community College welcomes new Chancellor of Houston Community College, Dr. Margaret Ford Fisher. She began her tenure on January 24, 2024, after serving as interim chancellor since September 1, 2023. With a career at HCC spanning nearly four decades, Dr. Ford Fisher previously served as the founding president of the HCC Online College and as president of HCC Northeast College for 20 years.
- Rice University leads the Texas schools in LinkedIn’s first-ever ranking of the 50 best U.S. colleges for long-term career success. Rice appears at No. 31 in the ranking and the University of Texas at Austin at No. 46.
- Rice University has officially opened Sarofim Hall, a new $76 million, 94,000-square-foot facility that will serve as the new home for the visual arts programs. The new building consolidates the university’s art programs into a single location and is designed to emphasize collaboration, transparency, and public engagement.
- University of Houston has received a two-year, $1.1 million grant from the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. This funding is for continued research into Usher Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder causing deafness and blindness in children.
- University of Houston at Sugar Land campus has opened a new three-story, 75,000-square-foot engineering building. The facility, which cost $65 million, opened for the fall 2025 semester and is part of the Cullen College of Engineering. The building features wet and dry labs, computer labs, classrooms, and student lounge areas. It is connected by a sky bridge to the Sugar Land Academic Building 1 and allows the campus to accommodate hundreds more students.
Energy Transition
- Daikin, a global leader in AC manufacturing, announced a five-year agreement with ENGIE North America to power all its Texas facilities with 100% renewable electricity, including the Daikin Texas Technology Park (DTTP), its largest manufacturing site and North American HQ. This milestone marks a major step toward Daikin’s goal of making DTTP a Net Zero Factory by 2030.
Health Care
- Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, and Memorial Hermann, among other recipients, have secured a $15 million federal grant renewal from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to continue their Superfund Research Program. The renewed funding will allow researchers to expand their focus to include “forever chemicals” and metals, while also developing new technologies, like using machine learning to analyze chemical structures in soil and human blood. The ultimate goal is to understand how environmental and genetic factors combine to cause disease and to inform policies that can reduce the health burden in affected communities, starting with the Houston area which has over 20 Superfund sites.
- Houston Methodist has opened a new hospital campus in Cypress. The $650 million project, which opened in March 2025, includes a seven-story hospital with 100 beds, two six-story medical office buildings, and a renovated central utility plant. The facility also features an emergency department, a birthing center, nine operating rooms, and state-of-the-art technology. It was designed with the potential for future expansion.
- Texas Medical Center has received a grant of nearly $3 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). The funding is specifically for a new Accelerator for Cancer Medical Devices. The new program will support innovators in developing prototypes and advancing them from the prototype stage to clinical trials.
Innovation
- Texas A&M University has partnered with Meta to create AI-powered tools for disaster preparedness and response, specifically in the Houston and Harris County area. The technology’s features include generating hurricane supply lists and preparation tips, providing guidance on evacuation routes, and tracking storms in real time. The collaboration’s objective is to enhance public safety during emergencies when traditional communication methods may be compromised.
- Rice University students have developed a cost-effective, non-invasive vibrotactile glove to alleviate Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The device, which uses inexpensive smartphone motors to deliver randomized vibrations to the fingertips, is based on research from Stanford University that suggests these vibrations can help rewire misfiring neurons and improve motor control. The students have published an open-source manual to allow others to build their own gloves and have formed a nonprofit to offer the commercial version on a sliding scale.
Transportation
- Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is partnering with public transit agencies in the Houston area to offer “Free Fare Fridays” throughout September. The initiative, which also involves Harris County Transit, Fort Bend Transit, The Woodlands Township Transit, and Conroe Connection Transit, aims to encourage riders to use public transportation to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion. Free rides will be available on bus services on September 12, 19, and 26.
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.