The Gulf Coast CHP Application Center (GCAC) was established in January 2005 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to promote the development and deployment of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technology. The GCAC is working to encourage greater adoption of CHP by industry, by commercial building owners, and by institutional building and campus operators. CHP dramatically improves the efficiency of energy supply by simultaneously producing heat, air conditioning, and electricity.

The Center hosts workshops on CHP topics and provides technical assistance to potential adopters to help them evaluate the value proposition and understand the project development process. The GCAC provides support for end-users and adopters located in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. The GCAC is located at the Houston Advanced Research Center in The Woodlands, Texas.

The Texas Combined Heat and Power Initiative (TXCHPI) leads the State in encouraging the implementation of CHP technologies and drives CHP roadmap actions items in support of DOE’s and EPA’s goal of doubling CHP use by 2010.

TXCHPI provides for coordination and communications among the various stakeholder organizations in the state, including federal agencies, state agencies, utilities, project developers, equipment manufacturers, CHP users, universities, research institutions, and public interest groups.

Mission Statement: Texas CHP Initiative champions combined heat and power as the most effective, economical and environmentally-sensible energy option for Texas.