ENERGY

	OIL AND GAS Houston’s reputation as the energy capital of the world continues to be justified, with eight of the world’s ten leading energy companies located in Houston.  Moreover, 43 of the nation’s 144 publicly traded oil and gas exploration and production firms have subsidiaries, major divisions or other significant operations here.    Houston is the largest petrochemical center in the U.S. with almost 300 chemical companies operating in the area. Two decades ago, oil and gas production accounted for 86% of the Houston economy.  Today the energy industry accounts for less than 50% of the city’s economy.  Over the past decade Houston has moved away from production to become a key hub for high technology with an emphasis on research and development in the oil and gas industry.  This concentration of know-how and experience has resulted in a large number of relocations to Houston since Shell Oil Company relocated from New York to Houston in 1971.  Major energy companies that have relocated to Houston in recent years include:
More than 3,000 energy-related establishments are located within the Houston MSA, including more than 500 exploration and production firms, more than 150 pipeline transportation establishments, and hundreds of manufacturers and wholesalers of energy-sector products In September 2007, the Houston MSA held 29.6% of the nation’s jobs in crude petroleum and natural gas extraction and 13.5% of jobs in support activities for mining.  The Texas Gulf Coast has a crude operable capacity of 4.015 million barrels of refined petroleum products per calendar day – 83.3% of the Texas total and 24.4% of the U. S. total.  The logistics for moving much of the nation’s petroleum and natural gas across the country are controlled from Houston.  Twelve of the nation’s top 20 oil pipelines have corporate or divisional headquarter or ownership interests in Houston, controlling 56.6% of U. S. capacity.  Fifteen of the nation’s top 20 natural gas transmission companies have corporate or divisional headquarters in Houston, controlling 72.8% of U.S. capacity. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOLAR ● Rice University has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to design, operate a fully solar-powered home.  The project is part of the fourth Solar Decathlon to be held in Washington, D.C., in fall 2009.  ● In the Upper Kirby area of Houston, construction is underway on what may be the city’s only completely self-sustainable house.  Houston Public Radio reports the house will generate all power and water through solar energy and rain.  ● Houston-based Global Warming Solutions Inc., a developer of technologies aimed at mitigating the effects of global warming, has signed a collaboration agreement with Solar Wind Ltd., a Russian-based supplier of double-sided silicon solar cells. ● In 2008, Houston was recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as a Solar America City for its commitment and comprehensive approach to the deployment of solar technologies.  The DOE awarded $200,000 in funds to the City of Houston to develop a strategy and plan for solar infrastructure in the region.  BP Solar will provide an additional $200,000 in solar panels to the City as part of the matching requirement for the grant. HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS The Woodlands-based Center for Fuel Cell Research and Applications is a multi-sponsor research consortium working to advance hydrogen and fuel cell technologies from lab to market.  The Center offers two programs – one providing surveillance of early-stage technologies and the other providing operational verification of products emerging from late-stage developers and manufacturers.
Back