Houston Energy & Climate Week Returns September 13–18, 2026

Building & Backing America’s Promising Decarbonization Solutions

HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Houston Energy & Climate Week Returns September 13–18, 2026

Houston Energy & Climate Week (HECW) returns September 13–18, 2026 under the theme “Building & Backing the Future,” convening the builders, backers, and believers behind America’s most promising decarbonization solutions. HECW is an official partner of the Climate Week Network, which spans more than 22 cities. The full calendar is live at houstonenergy.climate-week.org

HECW covers both halves of its name. Houston is home to 27 Fortune 500 headquarters — second only to New York, and 14 of them in energy, more than any city in the world — alongside roughly 4,700 energy-related firms, the Texas Medical Center, NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the nation’s largest port complex by tonnage. Houston startups raised $1.75 billion in venture funding last year, and energy’s share of it climbed from 14 percent in 2023 to more than 60 percent in 2025.

“The energy capital of the world is finding its voice in this conversation, and it’s a builder’s voice,” said Katie Mehnert, Co-Founder of Houston Energy & Climate Week. “Houston is where an innovator meets the operator who can pilot their technology and the investor who can scale it, in the same week, sometimes in the same room. That’s the power of &, and it’s the fastest path from a good idea to a built project. Houston is an industrial base that makes the city where energy and climate strategy meet execution.”

Access Instead of Panels

The 2026 program is built on mobility, immersion, and access. Instead of a moderated discussion about a technology, attendees stand inside the facility building it. Instead of a ballroom keynote, opening night takes place inside a digital art environment. The week crosses energy, climate, space, medicine, arts, sports and AI — because the American future will not be decided by one sector.

“We took the stage down because the best part of this story isn’t on it,” said Katie O’Shea, Chair of HECW 2026. “We took the stage down because the best part of this story isn’t on it. This year you’re inside the plants, labs, and art — shoulder to shoulder with the people building and backing the future. That’s where deals get made, and minds get changed.”

Anchor Events: Built on Partnership

Every anchor event pairs HECW with an institution that already defines Houston — its energy operators, its ballpark, its oldest brewery, its restaurants and its immersive art space.

Opening Night: The Inaugural & Awards are on Sunday, September 13 at ARTECHOUSE Houston. The & Awards honor those who have committed capital, conviction, and careers to Houston’s future. The 2026 honorees are

• Jay Zeidman, Chairman, Houston First; Managing Partner, Altitude Ventures, The City of Firsts Award
• Fervo Energy, The Breakthrough Award
• The World Affairs Council of Greater Houston, The Believer Award
• The University of Houston, Energy Innovator Award.
• Former Mayor of Houston and Congressman Sylvester Turner, The Lifetime Achievement &Bassador, presented posthumously. HECW exists because Turner championed the Houston Climate Action Plan, and his conviction that this city could lead the world in both energy and climate remains the founding spirit of the week.

The week also brings a global partnership to Houston: AY Young, the 2020 UN Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals, brings the Battery Tour — the world’s longest-running clean energy concert series, with more than 960 shows powered entirely by renewable energy stored in batteries. He joins Houston for the full week, activating across multiple venues, opening at the & Awards.

The inaugural HTX Tech Tours are Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Participants will get behind-the-scenes access to energy and climate companies across the region. Space is very limited and applications close Friday, August 21.

Additional programming includes Brews & BBQ on the Bayou, HECW Night with the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, the HTX Energy & Climate Showcase, and Builder Co-Working days. Attendees include innovators, capital allocators, corporate venture investors, artists, students, philanthropists, media, and international consuls and delegations.

How to Get Involved

Organizations can host an event on the official HECW calendar. Entries are due by August 31, 2026. Register here. HTX Tech Tour applications are due by August 21, 2026. Apply here. Full details on how to get engaged, including how to plan for the week, can be found at climateweekhouston.com.

About HECW

Houston Energy & Climate Week supports Allies in Energy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (alliesinenergy.org) advancing energy and climate literacy. It is community-led and offers something for everyone. Its origin traces to 2018, when — after Hurricane Harvey — united by the belief that Houston could lead in both energy and climate.

The week is generously supported and organized through funding and/or in-kind resources from a community of more than 30 organizations including ARTECHOUSE, The Bee Suite, Breakthrough Energy, EarthX, Evolve Houston, the Houston Astros, Houston Methodist, Justworks, Moxy Hotels, NRG Energy, Plug and Play, GeoKiln, University of Houston System, The Houston Public Library Foundation, METRO, Eagle Eye Design, 801 Travis, Invincible Hub, Creatopia, Industrious, The Blue People, The H Town Group Restaurants, City of Houston, City of Sugarland, Harris County, and several international consulates.

Media Contact: info@climateweekhouston.com · climateweekhouston.com

John Mossop
Houston Energy & Climate Week
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