Q4 Winter Alliance Connect
Welcome to the latest issue of Alliance Connect, a newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest news and happenings from the Houston CCS Alliance. In this issue, we’re taking a look back at the final few months of 2024. From our signature tree giveaway in Galena Park to our #2024Wrapped series, the Alliance closed the year out on a high note, setting the foundation for an event-packed and successful 2025.
Houston CCS Alliance gives out more than 500 trees at community event in Galena Park
This fall, the Alliance hosted our flagship community event in Galena Park, where we gave away more than 500 trees to Houston-area residents to assist in replacing ones lost in recent storms and droughts. These trees will help provide shade, erosion control, and natural CO2 removal on their property for decades to come.
The event, put on in partnership with the Galena Park/Jacinto City Rotary Club and Precinct2gether, gave us the opportunity to engage with local community members and talk to them about the benefits of CCS technology to the Houston region. We plan to continue these events in 2025, fostering meaningful relationships with Houston residents, while raising awareness about the importance of CCS and the positive impact it will have in communities along the Gulf Coast.
Click here to read more about our flagship event.
#2024Wrapped series highlights 2024 achievements
As part of our 2024 wrap-up, the Houston CCS Alliance launched its #2024Wrapped series across all social media channels. Modeled on Spotify’s iconic end-of-year #Wrapped music round-up, the Alliance tallied events attended, content published, and statements of support secured throughout 2024 and packaged these into eye-catching, animated social media graphics.
Events
Last year, the Alliance participated in more than 50 events. From local roundtables to our signature tree giveaway in Galena Park, we enjoyed engaging with community members, business leaders, and local officials to help raise greater awareness of CCS technology’s important role in reducing emissions and growing Texas’ already robust energy industry.
Supporter Statements
In 2024, the Alliance added 11 new supporters to our roster. From Houston Mayor John Whitmire to Texas State Rep. Ana Hernandez, we’re proud to count so many respected local leaders among our advocates. Click on our Who We Are section to learn more about why our advocates support CCS technology and the Alliance’s mission to advance CCS in Texas.
Content
Last year, the Alliance produced 23 bilingual blogs and three newsletters. From a blog detailing our spring public opinion survey results to coverage of our events, we captured it all. Check out our Newsroom for more.
Resources
In 2024, the Alliance published 4 new bilingual resources, including a new CCS safety fact sheet and the debut of our interactive educational platform, CarbonQuest. Visit our Resources page to explore our latest offerings and learn more about CCS.
Alliance participates in CCS community open house hosted by Calpine and DOE
In October, member company Calpine and the Department of Energy (DOE) hosted an open house in Baytown for Calpine’s CCS project. We joined Calpine at the event, talking to local Baytown residents about how the positive environmental and economic impacts CCS projects like Calpine’s will have on the area. We look forward to watching Calpine’s Baytown project become one of the preeminent CCS facilities along the Gulf Coast.
Click here to learn more about the event and here to read more about Calpine’s partnership with the DOE.
Global CCS Institute’s 2024 Status Report shows record number of projects in CCS pipeline
The Global CCS Institute released its 2024 Global Status of CCS Report, highlighting the key achievements in the development of CCS over the past year. According to the report, 237 CCS facilities have been added to the project pipeline since the 2023 report, with more than 628 total projects in the CCS pipeline, marking a 60% year-over-year increase. Furthermore, the number of projects in the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) stage has more than doubled since 2023. Finally, global operating CO2 capture capacity is on track to double once facilities currently under construction begin operating, demonstrating significant progress toward making large-scale carbon capture a reality across the country.
Read our full blog of the report here.
Member company ExxonMobil claims largest offshore CO2 storage lease in the US
In October, member company ExxonMobil secured the largest offshore CO2 storage lease in the US with the Texas General Land Office (GLO). The lease encompasses more than 271,000 acres of offshore land in the Gulf of Mexico and emphasizes ExxonMobil’s commitment to increasing investment in low-carbon solutions like CCS and expanding CCS operations along the Gulf Coast.
Read more about this milestone here.
Nine advocates across Houston, Austin, and Beaumont filmed for new Houston CCS Alliance video series
In the final few months of the year, the Alliance interviewed local leaders, academic experts, and economic thought leaders across Texas, from the Gulf Coast to the Hill Country, about the safety and the invaluable economic and community benefits CCS will bring to the Lone Star State.
These interviews will be added to our Ask the Experts video series on YouTube in early 2025 and will serve as a key resource for our communities to learn more about CCS technology and the importance of advancing its development in Texas.
Want to be the first to see the videos when they go live? Click here to subscribe to the Houston CCS Alliance’s YouTube channel.
Channelview ISD’s Día de los Muertos event presents opportunity for parent and student engagement
In November, the Alliance participated in Channelview ISD’s Día de los Muertos celebration, which featured student performances and a lively game of Lotería. Throughout the event, the Alliance engaged with community members, distributing bilingual materials and discussing the importance of CCS technology and the positive impact it will have on the Channelview community.
Houston CCS Alliance leads workforce development conversation with American Technical Educators Association (ATEA) conference
As the adoption of CCS in Texas grows, companies will need trained, skilled workers to construct and operate these critical facilities. Technical educators will be on the frontlines, preparing the workforce we need to fill these essential jobs.
In October, the Houston CCS Alliance spoke at the American Technical Education Association (ATEA) Conference in Pasadena, meeting with educators from around the country to discuss opportunities to prepare students for success in a changing energy industry.
Our region is well-positioned to be a global leader in CCS because we have a talented pool of experienced workers ready to fill thousands of CCS jobs that will come to the Gulf Coast, but it is important that our region is discussing how we can maintain and grow Houston’s workforce to thrive in the energy transition.
The Houston CCS Alliance will continue to convene these important conversations and raise awareness about the significant job creation opportunities that CCS can bring to Texas.
Click here to learn more.
In the News
Have you heard the news? CCS activity among our Houston CCS Alliance member companies is quickly gaining momentum. In case you missed it, find some of the latest news headlines below.
Exxon secures over 271,000 acres in Texas waters for offshore CO2 capture – Reuters
ExxonMobil has acquired state leases for over 271,000 acres in Texas state waters for an offshore carbon capture operation.
Growth of carbon capture and storage will bring jobs to the Coastal Bend – Corpus Christi Caller-Times
In the next decade, forecasts suggest that demand for electricity in Texas will nearly double. CCS is quickly becoming a solution that can benefit the Coastal Bend and other communities around the state.
Calpine and US Department of Energy Advance Grant Process for Baytown CCS Project – Department of Energy
Calpine and the Department of Energy are progressing on their Baytown project partnership following OCED’s $12.5 million award.
Interested in reading more news from the Houston CCS Alliance? Click here to visit our Newsroom.
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The Houston CCS Alliance is a coordinated effort among some of the world’s most innovative energy, petrochemical, and power generation companies to advance the development of carbon capture and storage in the greater Houston industrial area. Members include: BASF, Calpine, Channelview Cogeneration, Chevron, DOW, ExxonMobil, INEOS and LyondellBasell. Interested in staying up-to-date with the Houston CCS Alliance? Share this email with your contacts and sign up here.
