In 2019 Thermal Energy Corporation (TECO) is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its district energy system that serves the Texas Medical Center (TMC) campus, the largest medical complex in the world. The chilled-water and steam system – owned and operated by TECO since 1978 – began under the ownership of Houston Natural Gas Company in 1969.
 
Today TECO’s combined-heat-and-power-based system pipes chilled water and steam to 22.7 million sq ft in 50 buildings in 16 different institutions. Customers use TECO’s chilled water for space cooling, cold rooms and refrigeration and TECO’s steam to meet space heating, dehumidification, humidification, sterilization, kitchen, sanitary and research requirements.

As the largest district cooling system in North America since it completed a major expansion in 2011, TECO produces chilled water and steam at two interconnected plants housing 27 chillers and nine boilers. 

The not-for-profit company is known for reliability, resiliency, energy efficiency, environmental stewardship and being the energy behind what’s next on the Texas Medical Center campus.