On November 7th, HARC’s President and CEO, John Hall, welcomed Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and Satchel Tsai, Special Assistant, to HARC’s headquarters.
The HARC team, led by Mr. Hall and Dr. Carlos Gamarra, Director of Clean Energy, provided Mr. Marootian with an overview of HARC and its work in clean energy, including the DOE’s Southcentral and Upper West Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnerships (CHP TAPs), its upcoming work in the Onsite Energy TAP, and other DOE-funded projects such as Energy Fellow, a decision tool, due to be released in February 2024, that helps non-technical users analyze the feasibility of community energy systems.
HARC also presented highlights of several of its sustainability and climate equity projects, including the ForUsTree initiative, which will increase tree canopy and improve access to employment in underserved communities in Houston and Harris County. Mr. Hall outlined HARC’s role in the HyVelocity Hydrogen Hub, a collaborative of successful global energy partners working to advance clean hydrogen in the Gulf Coast, that recently received Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub funding from the DOE. HARC will play a leading role in delivering HyVelocity’s climate equity strategy, which includes establishing Community Benefits Hubs to ensure that 40% or more of the benefits from this federal investment flow to disadvantaged communities.
From left to right, Jeff Marootian (DOE) and John Hall (HARC).
Following the meeting, Mr. Marootian and Ms. Tsai toured HARC’s Living Lab, HARC’s headquarters which embodies green building design and innovative technologies.
HARC’s team included Dr. Stephanie Glenn, Vice President of Research-Water; Marina Badoian-Kriticos, Director of Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs; Maya Houston, Director of Development; and Stacy Smith, Director of Communications.
HARC also welcomed its partners to the meeting to discuss the potential impact of the HyVelocity Hydrogen Hub and of scaling hydrogen production. Laura Goldberg, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Communications and Community Engagement at Center for Houston’s Future (CHF); Sophia Cunningham, Senior Director of Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI); and Brian Weeks, Senior Director of Hydrogen Business Development at GTI Energy (GTI), provided details on the work of HETI, CHF, and GTI in this area, as well as the DOE’s regional hydrogen investments.
More information about HARC’s Clean Energy research can be found here.
