Ochoa Energy Storage announced on June 10 that Katy ISD Education Foundation and the Robert R. Shaw Center for STEAM have been selected as the recipients of its spring 2024 Community Giving Program.

The Katy ISD Education Foundation provides resources to enrich teaching, inspire learning, and enhance opportunities for students in the Katy community. Funding from the Ochoa Energy Storage Community Giving Program will support Katy High School’s “Aiming for a Net-Zero Campus Using a Native Prairie Ecosystem as a Real-World Model” program, providing students with an immersive opportunity to learn about conserving Katy’s natural environment.

Katy ISD Education Foundation Development Director Janet Theis thanked the Ochoa Energy Storage team for their support, saying, “This generous contribution benefits the Katy ISD Education Foundation’s district-wide Inspiring Imagination teacher grant program and provides direct support for teacher-led outdoor learning experiences at Katy High School.”

The Robert R. Shaw Center for STEAM's mission is to inspire students to pursue STEAM subjects and careers through hands-on experiences with STEAM activities and participation in advanced robotics programs. Funding from the Ochoa Energy Storage award will help the Shaw Center purchase materials and equipment for Katy ISD student field trips, where students will learn about engineering design through immersive activities like bottle car racing and straw rocket launching. The program will provide supplies and for two years-worth of field trips, benefiting about 28,000 students.

Stephen Adams, Coordinator for the Robert R. Shaw Center for STEAM, said, “The Robert R. Shaw Center for STEAM staff is incredibly thankful for Ochoa Energy Storage’s award for our program and mission. This award will enable approximately 28,000 third and seventh-grade students in Katy ISD to participate in hands-on field trips so they can engage with science on a practical and personal level, helping equip them to become our next generation of STEM leaders.”

Investing in organizations that empower future generations with the tools to create a bright future is a priority for Vesper Energy, said Alex Rohr, Community Affairs Manager for the Ochoa Energy Storage project. "Our team is grateful for the opportunity to invest in Katy’s students and educators by partnering with incredible community organizations like the Katy ISD Education Foundation and the Shaw Center for STEAM.”

The Ochoa Energy Storage Community Giving Program is open to organizations working to make an impact on the Katy area community. The next round of applications can be submitted by visiting our website: ochoaenergystorage.com/community-giving-application. The next deadline is August 15, 2024.

About Ochoa Energy Storage Ochoa Energy Storage is a proposed 500-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project that would provide sustainable, reliable energy to support the Texas grid and millions of dollars of revenue

from taxes and construction spending. This project is being developed in Katy, Texas, on privately owned land, directly next to a pre-existing major electrical corridor serving the residents in the Katy area.

About Vesper Energy Vesper Energy, headquartered in the Dallas area, is comprised of professionals who have collectively delivered more than 10 GW of renewable energy projects globally, owning and operating 100 MW of solar projects, including over 55 renewable energy and energy storage projects with a generating capacity of 17 GW; enough to power more than 2 million hom