Houston is known as the home to many of the nation’s oil and gas companies, but the Texas capital is making a bid for the next generation of energy firms. As part of the effort, Austin will host about 275 entrepreneurs, investors and energy executives for the Clean Energy Venture Summit, hosted by the Clean Energy Incubator and Austin Energy, on May 14 to 16.

Another key to Austin's quest was the formation of the Clean Energy Incubator in the early 2000s. Despite its efforts, so far the city’s companies haven’t pulled any big success stories through large M&A deals or even an initial public offering — although Cypress Semiconductor Corp.'s spinout of solar panel maker SunPower Corp. had a solar R&D effort in Cypress’ Round Rock fab.

California remains the place to be for green companies, judging from data gathered by the Cleantech Venture Network, which estimated that $2.9 billion was invested in clean technologies in the U.S. last year, with Texas companies receiving about $211 million.

Still, the conference will showcase several startups, including one form China, and speakers will include James Woolsey, former director of the CIA, and Gary Cowger, group vice president of General Motors Corp., both discussing clean transportation options such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Others will focus on building the "utility of the future."

Austin is certainly trying to build its reputation as the clean energy capital of the future. —Stacey Higginbotham

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