Demonstrating its continued commitment to advancing the energy transition and bolstering the region’s workforce, BP donated $200,000 to Houston Community College (HCC) to fund an electrical vehicle safety and mechanic training course for City of Houston and Harris County employees. The initiative underscores the international company’s commitment to sustainability and aims to equip local technicians with the specialized skills needed for the future of transportation.  The program aims to train more than 250 fleet department employees this year by providing safety knowledge for handling EVs and advanced training on repairs and maintenance.  “We embrace Houston's role as the energy capital of the world and we continue to support the city and the county and their efforts to advance the energy transition,” Mark Crawford, Sr. Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at bp, said during a check presentation at an HCC Board of Trustees meeting. “We are excited for the year ahead and many technicians who will depart HCC campus with a certificate in hand and new knowledge to utilize.”  Click to expand bp check presentation to HCC to fund EV safety training   In 2020, the City of Houston released its Climate Action Plan which included converting non-emergency, light-duty municipal vehicles to electric by 2030. Harris County has a similar goal to transition its fleet to electric vehicles.  HCC’s Northeast College President Michael Edwards applauded bp’s investment and commitment to strengthening communities, creating sustainable jobs and advancing the transition.   “bp America seeks to work with partners to develop initiatives for the area's most impacted by the energy transition and enable the workforce to gain the skills needed for future energy systems,” said Michael Edwards, PhD, President of HCC’s Northeast College Campus.    Earlier this year, bp launched its first U.S. EV charging station, bp Pulse, at the company’s Energy Corridor headquarters. The station, offering 24 high-speed EV charge points, is part of bp’s plan to invest $1 billion in EV charging infrastructure by 2030.  Learn more about Houston's energy industry.

The Greater Houston Partnership has been awarded Site Selection Magazine’s Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development for its outstanding regional economic development performance in 2023. Widely considered to be the gold standard recognition for regions from the industry’s top trade publication, the award is based on the following criteria:  Total projects Total investment associated with those corporate facility projects Total jobs associated with those corporate facility projects Per capita calculations of those same three metrics  "Receiving the Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development is not just a recognition of our region’s achievements; it's a testament to our commitment to creating opportunity in Houston,” said Steve Kean, President and CEO at the Partnership. “It’s a team effort here in Houston, and we are delighted to work with our partner economic development groups across the region to tell the world about Houston and attract new jobs and investment to our community.”  This is the Partnership’s first win since 2021 and 15th time winning the award. The Partnership previously received honorable mentions in 2007, 2016 and 2017, bringing the Partnership’s total number of appearances in Site Selection’s top group rankings to 18 since its inception in 1989.  “I am very proud of our organization's recognition of the prestigious Mac Conway Award for Excellence,” said Craig Rhodes, Senior Vice President of Economic Development at the Partnership. “It's a testament to the collaborative efforts with our partners across the 12-county region, and it motivates our team to continue our mission of driving inclusive prosperity and creating meaningful opportunities for all."  Following major economic development wins in 2023, the greater Houston region has gotten off to a strong start in the first quarter of 2024, with 139 new business announcements identified.  A total of 40 businesses established new facilities in the Houston area while 97 projects were an expansion of existing Houston-area facilities. Manufacturing accounted for 32 percent of the announcements, with professional, scientific and technical services ranking second (17 percent).  Learn more about why companies choose Houston.