Spotlight On: Parker Meeks, CEO, Utility Global
June 2025 — In an interview with Invest:, Parker Meeks, CEO of off-gas-to-value company Utility Global, highlighted the successful commercial validation of its clean hydrogen technology at a major steel plant and a $50 million funding round, positioning the company for immediate scaling across heavy industries. “These investors see the same potential we do — an economic pathway to clean hydrogen and carbon capture,” he said.
What makes Houston an ideal location for Utility Global, and how does it influence operations and opportunities in the sector?
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the country and is considered by many to be the most diverse. For Utility Global, that environment creates an incredible opportunity to deliver economic energy, driving efficiencies in existing infrastructure where off-gases or waste gases can be converted into clean hydrogen and high-concentration CO₂.
Heavy industry is critical for our technology to thrive. We look for locations where there’s demand for hydrogen and CO₂, and where there’s an ecosystem ready to embrace both economic and environmental improvements. Houston is one of the leading energy capitals of the world, and from my perspective, the energy capital of the Western Hemisphere. The city has extensive infrastructure across upstream oil and gas, downstream chemicals and refining, and even wind and solar energy.
Being physically located here offers a huge advantage; we have proximity to decision-makers at companies that can deploy our technology globally. Over the last five to 10 years, Houston has also emerged as a leader in sensible energy transition. The Department of Energy recently awarded one of its seven hydrogen hubs to the greater Houston area through the HyVelocity Hub, which shows the strong commitment to advancing clean energy.
For Utility, Houston is the perfect place to deploy technology into real infrastructure, engage with strategic partners, and help drive practical, economic decarbonization.
Since you were recently appointed as CEO, what are your initial priorities?
Utility is in a fantastic place. The company has made tremendous strides over the past 12 to 24 months, moving from a technology with great potential to a fully commercially demonstrated solution.
The team successfully completed a customer demonstration at one of the largest steel plants in North America, a harsh, real-world environment that’s extremely challenging for any new technology. We proved the ability to produce clean hydrogen and high-concentration CO₂ at a cost structure that makes sense, and now we’re ready to scale.
The immediate priority is commercial deployment, especially in the steel sector, where we have full validation. There’s also significant upside for growth in refining, chemicals, and upstream oil and gas, taking off-gases and waste gases and turning them into clean products. Biogas is another exciting area — landfill gas, wastewater treatment gas, and other sources — that offers a huge domestic opportunity here in the United States.
The foundation is strong. Now it’s about landing initial commercial contracts, expanding into related sectors, and supporting the team in executing real-world projects that make economic sense and deliver measurable decarbonization benefits.
What major milestones has Utility Global achieved recently?
One of the biggest milestones was proving our technology at commercial scale in a real-world environment. We deployed our system at one of the largest steel plants in North America, operating for over 3,000 hours. We took blast furnace gas directly from the steel plant and produced clean hydrogen and high-concentration CO₂, all while dealing with unpredictable gas conditions and quick shutdowns, sometimes within 15 minutes.
Operating reliably in such a harsh environment showed that the technology isn’t just viable; it’s ready. This validation attracted strong commercial interest and opened up even larger opportunities beyond steel, including refining, chemicals, and biogas.
Another major milestone was closing over $50 million in Series C funding. This included strategic investors like ArcelorMittal, one of the largest steel companies in the world, as well as Ontario Power Generation, Aramco Ventures, and Samsung. These investors see the same potential we do — an economic pathway to clean hydrogen and carbon capture, without heavy reliance on government subsidies.
How ready is the industrial sector to adopt clean hydrogen technologies, and what challenges do you see?
There are always challenges with new technology. The biggest one is making sure it works reliably in real operating conditions, not just in a lab.
Historically, decarbonization was a leading reason for companies to adopt technologies like ours. That’s shifted. Today, the focus is primarily on economics. If a solution saves money or increases efficiency, companies are interested. If it also reduces emissions, that’s a bonus.
Our technology is uniquely positioned for this new reality. It delivers economic returns even without government incentives in many cases. For industries like steel, where about 70% of global production comes from blast furnaces, there are few cost-effective decarbonization options. Utility’s technology offers a practical solution, providing clean hydrogen and carbon capture while improving the bottom line.
As you scale operations, how do you view the labor pool in Houston?
We have a strong, highly technical team that has accomplished incredible things with a relatively lean structure. As we grow, we’re selectively adding talent across technology development, engineering, and manufacturing. Our core technology is manufactured in-house — specifically, the ceramic cells that drive the system — and we also work with third-party fabricators to build full plants.
We’re adding technical expertise in process engineering, manufacturing, and project execution. We’re also expanding our back-office teams to scale properly as operations grow. Houston offers a deep talent pool for these needs, and we also see opportunities to expand manufacturing into other parts of Texas or the broader United States over time.
Are there strategic partnerships in place to help integrate and scale Utility Global’s hydrogen solutions?
Partnerships are critical. At the current commercial scale, we can manage a lot internally. But as we move to larger deployments, scaling engineering, fabrication, and construction will require strong partnerships with EPC firms, manufacturing partners, and supply chain experts.
We also partner with research institutions, universities, and national labs to leverage their expertise and facilities. Collaborating with our customers is another key strategy, understanding their specific needs and working with them to package solutions that fit.
We’ve already seen a great reaction from leading companies in these sectors. As our project pipeline converts to commercial contracts, formalizing those partnerships will be an important next step.
How are emerging policy and regulatory frameworks influencing your approach?
Outside the United States, our technology delivers attractive economics without requiring government subsidies. Countries like Brazil, India, Korea, and Japan, where energy costs are high, are already strong markets for us.
In the United States, some projects can move forward without subsidies, but others may benefit from federal programs. We are closely tracking initiatives like the Department of Energy’s hydrogen hubs, especially the HyVelocity Hub in Houston, and state-level programs in places like California.
The goal is to stand on our own financially. Where subsidies exist, they can make projects even more attractive, but they aren’t a fundamental requirement for our business model.
What is your long-term vision for Utility Global?
The next three to five years are going to be transformative. First, we aim to become the economic choice for decarbonizing blast furnaces in steel. Our technology is uniquely suited to deliver economic hydrogen and carbon capture in that environment without needing massive subsidies.
From there, we will expand into refining, chemicals, and decentralized hydrogen production, including areas like flare gas capture, landfill gas, and wastewater treatment gas. These are high-impact sectors where our technology can drive value immediately.
By year four or five, we also see opportunities to extend our platform into related markets, producing carbon monoxide, participating in ammonia value chains, or contributing to sustainable aviation fuel production. These are natural extensions that build on the same technology and core competencies.
Ultimately, the vision is to be the leader in economic energy and decarbonization solutions, delivering value for customers while helping industries transition more sustainably.
For more information, visit:
https://www.utilityglobal.com/
