The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation

Texas' competitive energy market has delivered some of the lowest energy bills in the U.S.?In just two days, a Texas Senate Committee will hear one of the most anti-energy bills in state history. SB 819 would target Texas' nation-leading renewable energy industry with cumbersome, anti-business regulations that threaten our grid reliability. Despite booming energy demand, this bill would effectively block new solar, wind, and battery storage projects. It creates a discriminatory system that singles out renewables with needless, burdensome regulations. The consequences? Higher energy costs, threatened grid reliability, and damaged property rights. ERCOT projects Texas needs massive energy growth in the next decade, and renewables and advanced energy are set to provide most of that capacity. Texas leads the nation in clean energy for good reason. We have America's most abundant renewable resources that keep lights on and bills low. SB 819 would wipe out that advantage. #TexasEnergy #RenewableEnergy #EnergyPolicy #TexasGrid #TXlege

Putting the NGO funding crisis in context: Capitalize Good LLC's CEO Andrea Levere and COO Alexandra Sing joined Ben Mattison at Yale School of Management for a deep dive into nonprofit financials, the current funding crisis, and why enterprise capital is essential to helping nonprofits survive funding disruptions and build lasting change. As Andrea explained: “Our mission is to scale equity-like funding and to provide aligned financial technical assistance. If we thought this was important before this moment, given what’s happening nationally, we really feel this is an urgent need for philanthropy. We cannot waste time relying on (outdated) philanthropic practices to solve current problems.”? https://lnkd.in/eewTNahY

CGMF's Marilu Hastings will explore geothermal's bipartisan potential at SXSW. We're delighted to announce that Marilu will bring her energy policy expertise to Geothermal House during SXSW 2025 on Tuesday, March 11. Join Marilu in the thought-provoking session "From MAGA to MAGMA: How Drill Baby Drill Can Deliver Climate Progress." This discussion will explore opportunities for geothermal to maintain its bipartisan appeal while accelerating development in today's advanced energy landscape. The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation is excited to be part of this conversation about geothermal's potential to transform U.S. energy systems while building on existing drilling expertise and infrastructure. ?? Date: March 11, 2025 ?? Time: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM (Marilu's session at 2:00 pm) ?? Location: 305 East 3rd Street, Austin 78701 Space is limited. It's free, but you must RSVP today: https://lnkd.in/ePxhdVgH

Katherine Lorenz, president of CGMF, represents a new approach to philanthropy reshaping how wealth creates impact. As highlighted in a recent Chronicle of Philanthropy story, Lorenz believes the most effective philanthropy isn't always about "big gifts to big institutions" as her grandparents' generation practiced. Instead, she champions a more grassroots "power to the people" approach. "It's not a shift in values so much as it's a shift in tactics," Lorenz explains. Like many next-gen philanthropists, Lorenz values peer learning and collaboration. She helped start a group for fellow descendants of Giving Pledge signatories and participates in donor WhatsApp chats to exchange ideas informally. "There's nothing like connecting with other families who have different models of trying to get to the same end," she says. As trillions of dollars transfer to younger generations in the coming decades, leaders like Katherine demonstrate how modern philanthropy can maintain family legacy while evolving strategies for greater impact. https://lnkd.in/efQNWHqr

CGMF invites you to help transform the Permian Basin into an advanced energy innovation hub. CGMF’s Permian Energy Development Lab (PEDL) seeks a Senior Process Engineer/Project Manager to lead the design and integration of America's first full-scale, open-access, integrated clean energy laboratory! This role offers the unique chance to: -Lead the design of advanced multi-technology energy systems -Work with industry leaders including SOLARCYCLE, Honeywell, Baker Hughes, and Siemens Energy -Guide corporate stakeholders in evaluating energy technology investments -Develop a 10MW+ microgrid supporting multiple clean energy technologies PEDL is looking for candidates with 10+ years of corporate experience in energy project management and a proven track record of leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives. Application deadline: March 21, 2025 Start date: April 1, 2025 More information: https://lnkd.in/enPmmvts Learn more and apply: [email protected]

On Texas Independence Day (March 2)—our state's renewable energy resources delivered an incredible achievement: solar and wind power covered more than 75% of demand on the ERCOT grid. When nuclear is added, carbon-free sources made up 86% of demand. This represents the future of energy in Texas and beyond. Nationally, renewables (solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal) now comprise 24.2% of total U.S. electricity production according to EIA, with solar and battery storage representing 81% of new generation expected online in 2025. While some Texas leaders remain focused on building new gas plants, the "gas turbine crisis" means such projects face years-long delays and rising costs. Will our policymakers embrace the future or attempt to block the momentum we've built as the nation's renewable energy leader? https://lnkd.in/eJP33VR2 #TexasEnergy #RenewableEnergy #CleanEnergyEconomy #ERCOT

When George Mitchell envisioned The Woodlands in 1974, he wasn't just planning another Houston area development—he was reimagining how communities could harmonize with their natural surroundings. His revolutionary approach preserved nearly one-third of the 28,000-acre new town as green space. Fifty years later, The Woodlands is powerful proof that economic development and environmental protection aren't opposing forces. Mitchell understood that true community wealth includes natural capital alongside financial success. As we face increasingly complex environmental and community development challenges in 2025, Mitchell's practical yet visionary approach to placemaking offers a compelling blueprint: respect natural systems, prioritize long-term thinking, and recognize that economic vitality and environmental health are fundamentally interconnected.

The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation's 2024 annual report is available. As we navigate the evolving landscape of 2025, CGMF remains committed to being relevant and tenacious in our commitment and pursuit of supporting evidence-based solutions across all of our programs. We invite you to review the work of our grantees, thought partners, and staff at https://2024report.cgmf.org

It's fascinating to revisit this 2023 discussion about the future of energy with CGMF's thought partner Michael Webber and Chris Wright (now U.S. Secretary of Energy). https://lnkd.in/eQp44mSm

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is right: fixing the state's pipes must be priority #1 for water conservation in Texas. ?? The state loses 88 billion gallons of water annually from leaking infrastructure—enough to supply Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso, Laredo, and Lubbock combined. And Texas faces a critical water challenge: By 2050, water demand will increase 9% while drought supply could drop 18%. The solution isn't just building new reservoirs. The state must fix its aging infrastructure—all citizens and businesses deserve a plentiful clean water supply. Conservation-first approaches like upgrading irrigation systems and supporting advanced energy systems (which use significantly less water than fossil fuels) offer a more sustainable path forward. https://lnkd.in/gavTXq7q #WaterConservation #TexasSustainability #TexasInfrastructure #AdvancedEnergy