Houston Chronicle
Houston moving forward with longtime Luce Bayou project
Critics say the state plan promotes more pumps, pipes, dams and canals ahead of saving existing water. Although the plan calls for 12 percent of the supply in 2060 to come from conservation, they say more could be done. With Luce Bayou, "we will have capacity well into the future," said Jim Lester, a water policy expert at the Houston Advanced Research Center. "My fundamental problem with this is, we are doing so little on conservation." [read more]
State Impact Texas
Dallas Wastewater Keeps Trinity Flowing, Houston Drinking
Once called the "River of Death" because it was so polluted with sewage and waste from slaughterhouses, the Trinity River has defied the great drought and helped maintain one of Houston’s critical supplies of water. And much of the credit goes to what a century ago made the river so polluted: the wastewater from Dallas-Fort Worth... [read more]
Rigzone
First Movers in Eco-Drilling: Greener Results to be Clicks Away
The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) and Petris Technology of Houston will be teaming together to commercialize a geographic information system (GIS) that will help predict and prevent ecological harm from drilling operations. The technology initially will be developed in the Eagle Ford shale play area. The work will complement prototype efforts underway by the University of Arkansas for the Haynesville and Fayetteville shale plays... [read more]
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Producers find environmentally-friendly technology can boost bottom line
From the sand, chemicals and water used in hydraulic fracturing to capturing the emissions from wellheads and storage tanks, the oil and gas industry is focusing on environmentally-friendly technology. Rich Haut, senior research scientist and principal investigator, environmentally-friendly drilling program at the Houston Advanced Research Center, attributed the focus on environmentally-friendly technology to three primary influences. [read more]
InsideClimate News
New Waterless Fracking Method Avoids Pollution Problems, But Drillers Slow to Embrace It
David Burnett, a professor of petroleum engineering at Texas A&M University, one of the nation's premier petroleum engineering schools, said fracking with propane makes sense. "From a reservoir engineering perspective, there is no reason this would not be effective," said Burnett, who runs the Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems Program, a project of the university and the Houston Advanced Research Center, a not-for-profit academic and business consortium. Supported by some of the nation's largest energy companies, as well as by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the drilling program seeks new technologies that develop gas and oil in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. [read more]
Culture Map
As prices drop 50 percent & red tape disappears, H-Town looks to become the Solar American City
Houston was designated a "Solar American City" by the Department of Energy in 2008 and recently applied with the Houston Advanced Research Center and the city of San Antonio for another grant to help streamline the approval process even more. [read more]
Houston Chronicle
It's a bronze for bikes in The Woodlands
David Hitchcock, director of sustainable transportation programs at the Houston Advanced Research Center, wants residents of The Woodlands to know about their transportation alternatives. He encourages them to ride a bicycle instead of driving to work. "The best way to reduce pollution is to avoid starting a car," Hitchcock said. He explained that the first 30 seconds after starting a car produces more pollution than most commuters create on their whole route. "Just starting a car is one of the worst things you can do from an air quality standpoint," he said. Hitchcock suggests that cyclists map the safest route to work and then take further precautions by wearing helmets and being aware of their surroundings. [read more]
Alliance for Innovation
Houston Goes Solar
In 2008, Houston was named as one of the Department of Energy’s 25 Solar America Cities. Since 2008, the city has formed the Solar Houston Advisory Council (a strong public-private partnership), developed the Solar Houston Initiative plan, and completed a demonstration project on the George R. Brown Convention Center. [read more]
ICMA Knowledge Network
Houston Solar America Cities Podcast
Jennifer Ronk, a Research Scientist with the Houston Advanced Research Center, discusses Houston's work as one of the Department of Energy's 25 Solar America Cities, its successes, challenges, and lessons learned, as well as where she sees solar as part of Houston's future. [go to ICMAto listen]
E&P
EFD Program Expands
The Environmentally Friendly Drilling (EFD) program, managed by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), is funded by the US Department of Energy, the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA), industry, and environmental organizations. The program focuses on technologies for developing energy sources that can be cost effectively applied in environmentally sensitive areas. [read more]
The Houston Chronicle
Professor says state agency censored article
A long-awaited report on Galveston Bay is being delayed by accusations that Texas' environmental agency deleted references from a scientific article to climate change, people's impact on the environment and sea-level rise. [read more]
The Houston Chronicle
Texas on the verge of limiting academic freedom of climate scientists
Texas has become the epicenter of climate skepticism in recent months, and it’s here that a pivotal battle could play out in the next few months on the contentious issue. [read more]
Press Release
GRIDbot announces the largest fleet installation of EV Charging equipment in the US
Soon, the City of Houston will have the largest fleet of electric cars and the largest electric fleet charging site in the country. Funded in part by the State of Texas through a grant from the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ), twenty-eight GRIDbot charging stations are being installed in the Tranquility Park Garage to provide charging for this Centralized Fleet. The grant was won with the help of Good Company Associates, which is providing strategic and operational support to the new venture, to demonstrate the technology, collect data to evaluate the impacts of electric cars on air quality and the acceptance of this new technology. The air quality modeling is being conducted by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC). [read more]
The Cypress Times
Mayor Annise Parker and partners announce launch of Houston Drives Electric
A robust stakeholder process led by the City, ECOtality and the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), has led to the development of major planning documents to guide the City’s deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure. These documents include the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Deployment Guidelines, Long-Range Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Plan and Micro-Climate Plan. [read more]
San Antonio Current
Castro declares Climate Change Awareness Month as Texas cooks
The current drought, the most severe we’ve ever had, is proving to be pretty stressful. We were not prepared for it,'Harriss said. [read more]
Atmospheric Environment
Jay Olaguer, Director of Air Quality Research at HARC, has invented a new technique for performing air quality Computer Aided Tomography, or CAT scans. The technique is based on two elements: 1) remote sensing measurements with Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS), and 2) the mathematical reconstruction of observed pollution plumes based on the calculus of variations. An article describing the new technique will appear in the peer-reviewed science journal, Atmospheric Environment. [read online]
The Fort Worth Weekly
Jay Olaguer, Director of Air Quality Research at HARC, has been quoted by The Fort Worth Weekly in an article on oil and gas emissions in the Barnett Shale. [read online]
Alliance for Innovation
Houston Goes Solar
In 2008, Houston was named as one of the Department of Energy’s 25 Solar America Cities. Since 2008, the city has formed the Solar Houston Advisory Council (a strong public-private partnership), developed the Solar Houston Initiative plan, and completed a demonstration project on the George R. Brown Convention Center. [read more]
ICMA Knowledge Network
Houston Solar America Cities Podcast
Jennifer Ronk, a Research Scientist with the Houston Advanced Research Center, discusses Houston's work as one of the Department of Energy's 25 Solar America Cities, its successes, challenges, and lessons learned, as well as where she sees solar as part of Houston's future. [go to ICMAto listen]
E&P
EFD Program Expands
The Environmentally Friendly Drilling (EFD) program, managed by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), is funded by the US Department of Energy, the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA), industry, and environmental organizations. The program focuses on technologies for developing energy sources that can be cost effectively applied in environmentally sensitive areas. [read more]