The energy transition is well underway and represents an enormous opportunity for economic growth and emissions reductions worldwide. This report identifies the double benefits the Houston region could experience through a concerted effort to decarbonize existing industrial activity and presents an outline for other jurisdictions to follow.

This paper identifies four primary pathways for achieving emissions reduction in the Houston region — electrification, energy efficiency measures, hydrogen utilization, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) — between 2025 and 2050. Three scenarios — a business-as-usual case, a selective investment scenario reflecting economic limitations on the cost of carbon abatement measures, and a net-zero scenario — compare the potential impacts of emissions reductions and job creation potential with a focus on 2030 and 2050 forecasts.

In the best-case scenario, Houston and the surrounding regions could see more than 21,000 jobs created annually up to 2050 while achieving net zero carbon emissions from industry.

Acknowledgments: This work is generously supported by the Mission Possible Partnership (MPP), an alliance that supports public and private sector partners working on the industry transition towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and RMI, an independent non-profit focused on transforming global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5 degree C future, with a grant provided by the Bezos Earth Fund