Members advanced major projects and milestones across energy, business, education, healthcare and innovation. Highlights include major acquisitions, energy infrastructure investments, healthcare funding, and new programs supporting Houston’s talent, research and technology sectors.
Business Moves
Growth, Investment & Expansion
BP
BP plans to sell Archaea Energy, its Houston-based renewable natural gas business, as part of a broader effort to streamline its portfolio and focus on higher-return operations.
Harris County
Harris County plans a $17 million flood and swiftwater rescue training facility to better prepare first responders for high-water emergencies. The project would give emergency personnel a dedicated site to practice rescues in realistic flood conditions, strengthening the region’s disaster response capabilities and long-term resilience.
Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank plans to open a new Houston office to support its growing Texas presence, including an expanding energy banking group. The move follows Fifth Third’s broader Texas expansion strategy, which includes converting Comerica branches and growing its statewide retail footprint.
Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan
Phillips 66 and Kinder Morgan reaches a final investment decision on the $5 billion Western Gateway Pipeline, a 900-mile system that will move gasoline, jet fuel and diesel from the Texas Panhandle to Arizona and California. The project is designed to deliver 230,000 barrels per day of refined products, expanding energy infrastructure from Texas to Western markets.
Real Estate, Development & Hospitality
Crown Castle
Crown Castle’s 13-story Houston office tower is now fully leased following new agreements with Superior Energy Services and Arium Networks, which together leased about 85,000 square feet. The company will continue occupying the balance of the tower, reinforcing its corporate presence in Houston.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Hewlett Packard Enterprise clears a key milestone in its $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks after receiving court approval for its settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. The approval allows the Spring-based technology company to move forward with expanding its networking business and strengthening its position in AI-driven enterprise technology.
Quanta Services
Houston-based Quanta Services acquires Enerfab, a Cincinnati-area industrial construction and fabrication company, as Enerfab prepares to move its headquarters to Blue Ash, Ohio. The deal expands Quanta’s industrial services capabilities and adds to its portfolio of companies supporting energy, utility and infrastructure projects across North America.
Awards & Recognition
Empower Pharmacy, Perry Homes and The Signorelli Co.
Empower Pharmacy, Perry Homes and The Signorelli Co. were named to the 2026 Inc. 5000 list, which recognizes the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. Empower Pharmacy ranked No. 1,299 with 270% growth, The Signorelli Co. ranked No. 4,136 with 55% growth and Perry Homes ranked No. 4,998 with 12% growth, highlighting Houston companies’ continued momentum across health care, homebuilding and real estate.
Fervo Energy and Mercury Fund
Fervo Energy and Mercury Fund leaders were named experts-in-residence for TEX-E, supporting student entrepreneurs developing energy and climate technologies. Their involvement will connect fellows with industry and investment expertise, helping strengthen Houston’s energy innovation pipeline and support the next generation of climate tech founders.
Harvey Cleary, JE Dunn Construction, Kids’ Meals Inc., The Signorelli Co. and Transwestern
Harvey Cleary, JE Dunn Construction, Kids’ Meals Inc., The Signorelli Co. and Transwestern were named among the Houston Business Journal’s 2026 Best Places to Work. The annual awards recognize companies across multiple size categories for strong workplace culture, employee engagement and organizational leadership.
Houston Methodist
Houston Methodist was named one of the 20 best hospitals in the country on U.S. News & World Report’s Honor Roll. The recognition marks Houston Methodist’s 15th consecutive year as the No. 1 hospital in Texas.
Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View A&M University celebrates its 150th anniversary with signature events and milestone moments honoring the university’s legacy of opportunity, excellence and impact. The celebration recognizes the generations who shaped PVAMU’s mission in teaching, research and service while inviting alumni, students and supporters to help define the next chapter of “The Hill.”
St. Luke’s Health
St. Luke’s Health hospitals were recognized for excellence by U.S. News & World Report. Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and St. Luke’s Health–The Woodlands Hospital earned Best Hospital rankings, while three St. Luke’s community hospitals were rated High Performing for 2026-2027.
Education
Houston ISD
Houston ISD launches its Future 2 model at Gregg and Clemente Martinez elementary schools, incorporating Alpha School’s AI learning platform into a new K-8 approach. The model pairs morning academics with afternoon hands-on, screen-free learning focused on skills such as critical thinking and collaboration. The pilot reflects HISD’s broader effort to prepare students for an AI-enabled workforce.
Rice University
Rice University expands The Rice Investment to provide free tuition for undergraduates from families earning up to $200,000 a year beginning next fall. The move raises the previous full-tuition threshold and builds on Rice’s loan-free financial aid model, helping make the university more accessible.
Rice University
Rice University receives a $6 million gift from Harris and Chris Kraft to support construction of the Kraft Family Football Operations Pavilion. The new facility will expand space for student-athlete training, sports medicine, nutrition, meetings and recruiting, strengthening Rice Athletics’ football infrastructure and supporting the university’s broader investment in competitive excellence.
Rice University
Rice University receives a major gift from alumnus James Whitehurst to create the Sallyport Leadership Program, a new initiative focused on developing student leadership across campus. The program will support experiential learning, mentorship and leadership development opportunities.
Rice University
Rice University and the U.S. Army enter a five-year, $30 million research agreement to develop next-generation wireless networks and radio frequency electronics. The work will support efforts to modernize military communications while advancing research in secure, resilient wireless systems
University of Houston-Clear Lake
University of Houston-Clear Lake launched Hawk Promise, a new program guaranteeing free tuition and mandatory fees for eligible incoming freshmen from families with adjusted gross incomes up to $65,000 beginning in fall 2026.
Energy
Chevron and ExxonMobil
Chevron and ExxonnMobil reported 11-digit second-quarter earnings as higher oil prices and record production boosted results. ExxonMobil more than doubled its earnings from the prior year, while Chevron’s earnings roughly quadrupled.
ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil signed a carbon capture and storage agreement with Williams to transport and store CO₂ from Williams’ natural gas processing operations in Louisiana. The project marks ExxonMobil’s seventh commercial CCS customer and fifth CCS contract in Louisiana.
NRG Energy
NRG Energy plans to supply 295 megawatts of power to new data centers on two company-owned sites in Texas, with initial service expected in the second half of 2026 and full operations targeted by 2030. The agreements reflect rising electricity demand from AI and data center growth while positioning NRG to serve large-scale digital infrastructure across the state.
Healthcare
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine partners with United Therapeutics on a clinical trial exploring genetically modified pig kidneys as a potential solution to the shortage of transplantable organs.
University of Texas Medical Branch
The University of Texas Medical Branch receives a record $180 million commitment from the Sealy & Smith Foundation to expand cardiovascular care and research. The gift includes $130 million in new funding, following $50 million already given to establish the Sealy Heart & Vascular Institute and the Sealy Department of Cardiovascular Medicine. The contribution is the largest in UTMB history and will support efforts to fight heart disease.
St. Luke’s Health and Baylor College of Medicine
St. Luke’s Health hospitals across Greater Houston will add the CommonSpirit name beginning in October as the system adopts the brand of its national parent organization. The transition comes as St. Luke’s continues expanding its partnership with Baylor College of Medicine, supporting coordinated care, academic medicine and continued investment in regional health services.
Innovation
NASA
NASA prepares for its Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station, with mission briefings hosted from Johnson Space Center ahead of a planned September launch. The mission will use updated emergency crew evacuation vehicles at Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40, reflecting continued improvements to NASA’s commercial crew operations.
Rice University
Rice University received a $19.9 million National Science Foundation award to lead READINESS, a four-year project using AI, robotics and cloud-based laboratories to accelerate electronic and quantum materials manufacturing. The platform aims to reduce trial-and-error experimentation, expand access to advanced research infrastructure and support innovation in semiconductors, quantum computing and next-generation materials.
RELATED: New Partnership Members in July
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