Developers propose more than 100 new gas power plants in Texas

Companies plan to build more than 100 new gas-fired power plants in Texas in the next few years amid a race to meet enormous electrical demand from energy-hungry industries, according to a report released Wednesday by the Environmental Integrity Project, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit.
The projects would amount to 58,000 megawatts of new generation capacity, enough to power more than 8 million average American households, although many likely won't move past the planning stage. The report said proposed plants in Texas aim to support data centers for artificial intelligence and other heavy industries. They would also add an estimated 115 million metric tons of greenhouse gases every year to the atmosphere — as much as nearly 27 million more gasoline-powered cars on the road.
'Building more natural gas infrastructure and power plants would saddle Texas' growing population with more health-harming pollution and contribute to planet-warming greenhouse gases,' according to the 24-page report written by research analyst Griffin Bird.
The research reviewed permit applications, government data, public announcements and records from Texas' grid operator to tally 108 proposed new gas plants and 17 expansions. That includes four projects currently under construction, 33 that have received permits but haven't broken ground and 98 that are proposed. More than 60 projects aim for completion by the end of 2028.
The rapid buildout mirrors a global trend and comes as Texas authorities expect statewide power demand to nearly double by 2030, driven largely by a proliferation of advanced computing facilities.
'The sheer volume of additional gas projects quickly popping up in Texas that EIP have been flagging through air permit applications is indeed astonishing,' said Jenny Martos, manager of the oil and gas plant tracker at Global Energy Monitor, a California-based nonprofit.
Martos said gas power expansion globally is largely seen in Asian countries. In the U.S., Texas leads all other states in existing gas power generation and planned gas power generation, as well as production of oil and gas. It is also a leader in renewable energy.
Still, Martos said the gas projects face 'headwinds' and uncertainties. Among them: the use and possible regulations of artificial intelligence technology and the massive speculative energy demands related to AI's evolution.
A year ago, the Biden Administration was urging 100% renewable energy in the United States by 2035. Now, the AI boom has upended all calculations. Energy projects face supply delays and prices have surged for gas-fired turbines, essential for production.
'Manufacturers were caught flat-footed,' said Daniel Cohan, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice University in Houston. 'The cost of the gas turbines is now more than the cost of wind and solar farms, even before considering that you have to pay for the fuel.'
Authorities in Texas have taken steps to support natural gas as the predominant power source, even after years of steep growth in the state's wind and solar power generation. During legislative sessions in 2023 and 2025, lawmakers provided a total $10 billion in public financing of low-cost loans for new gas plants. No such taxpayer funds were designated to encourage wind or solar farms.
Projections of data center growth and energy consumption have led to optimistic expectations for Texas gas producers.
Residents who live near planned gas plants are less enthusiastic. In the tiny town of Blue in Lee County, neighbors are fighting plans for a massive power plant that would primarily serve private, commercial customers many miles away. They are worried about air, noise and light pollution and their quality of life.
'If you're going to build a bunch of gas plants, don't plop them down in the middle of nice, quiet, peaceful communities like ours,' said Travis Brown, a former state department of agriculture worker and spokesperson for a group called Move the Gas Plant. 'Preserving what's left of rural Texas should be a priority. That's an important part of our culture and our heritage.'
While natural gas burns much cleaner than coal, it still creates soot and emissions including greenhouse gases that warm the planet, nitrogen oxides that contribute to ozone formation, and known human carcinogens like benzene and formaldehyde.
The Environmental Integrity Project report found, in some cases, Texas allowed developers of large gas power plants to circumvent big parts of the permit process for major pollution sources. Companies underrepresented prospective emissions in their applications and then sought 'standard' permits meant for smaller facilities rather than new 'major source' permits, the EIP report found. Major source permitting requires more time for public notice and comment and companies must commit to the best available emissions control technology.
One example cited by EIP: EmberGreen and EmberYork, related companies that received permits for two 900 MW gas plants in the towns of Sealy and Wharton.
The permit applications represented the facilities' emissions as below the thresholds of major pollution sources for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde when assuming 3,900 hours of operation, or about 162 days, per year. However, EIP wrote, the facilities' permits contained no requirement to limit operations to 3,900 hours per year, or to report operating hours.
Likewise, a 930 MW gas plant by ENGIE in Robstown received permits as a minor source assuming 2,000 hours of annual operation. But its permit also included no limitations of operating hours.
The state's environmental regulator, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, has routinely enabled industrial developers to avoid the requirements of major source pollution review by issuing smaller permits, according to a 2023 investigation by Inside Climate News and the Texas Tribune.
The TCEQ did not respond to queries from Inside Climate News about the new report, nor did EmberClear or ENGIE.
Patton Dycus, EIP's senior attorney, said federal law requires emissions sources to be evaluated based on their full capacity to emit unless they are specifically limited in permits. In April, Dycus wrote the federal Environmental Protection Agency urging a review of Texas' permitting of the new gas plants.
'If new gas-fired plants that are major sources of criteria pollutants are constructed without the required Clean Air Act construction permits, that construction would be unlawful,' the letter said. 'TCEQ must not permit future similar gas-fired power plants through standard permitting.'
Disclosure: Rice University has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer.
Get tickets.
TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

UPI

41 minutes ago

• UPI

Britain, U.S. warn Iran against Strait of Hormuz blockade

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy (L) at a meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels in April. File Photo by NATO/UPI | License Photo June 23 (UPI) -- Britain cautioned Iran Monday that attempts to block the Strait of Hormuz or to strike at American military facilities in the Middle East could lead to escalation, even as Israel continued its strikes on Iran. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Monday that such actions would be a "catastrophic mistake." "It would be a huge, catastrophic mistake to fire at U.S. bases in the region at this time. We have forces in the region at this time," said Lammy in an interview with BBC Breakfast. The Iranian parliament moved Sunday to approve a measure to close the Strait in response to the American strikes on Iran over the weekend. The strait serves as a critical route for oil being shipped from Persian Gulf countries, but ultimately it will come down to whether Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei decides to move forward with such a plan. Close to 30% of the world's seaborne oil shipments are moved through the strait. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also commented Sunday against Iranian interference with movement through the strait. He spoke with Fox News and called on China to prevent Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz. "I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil," said Rubio, as China is a key oil customer of Iran. "The Persian Gulf and nearby waters are important route for international trade in goods and energy. Keeping the region safe and stable serves the common interests of the international community," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in a press conference Monday. "China calls on the international community to step up effort to promote de-escalation of the conflict and prevent the regional turmoil from having a greater impact on global economic growth." Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces announced Monday on social media that it "struck routes in order to obstruct access" to the Fordow nuclear enrichment site in Iran's Qom province. The IDF also proclaimed it attacked six Iranian airports "across western, central, and eastern Iran, destroying runways, underground hangars, refueling aircraft, F-14, F-5 and AH-1 aircraft." It further alleged the strikes "impaired takeoff capabilities from these airports, as well as the Iranian military's ability to operate its air force from them."

CNBC

an hour ago

• CNBC

Here's the salary Americans say they now need to earn to live comfortably

With higher prices now firmly entrenched, and President Donald Trump's tariffs fueling inflationary concerns, most Americans say they need an income boost to get by, according to a new report. Nearly half, or 45%, of all adults said they would need to make $100,000 or more a year to feel financially secure, Bankrate's financial freedom survey found. Roughly one-quarter, or 26%, said they need to make $150,000 or more. Fewer — 16% — put the bar at over $200,000. By comparison, the median household income in 2023 was a little over $80,000, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Altogether, the share of Americans who said they do not feel completely financially comfortable rose to 77% in 2025, up from 75% in 2024 and 72% in 2023, according to Bankrate's survey, which polled more than 2,200 in May. Here's a look at other stories affecting the financial advisor business. While Americans might have different definitions of what living comfortably entails, being in "a financial sweet spot," often means "you are able to cover your bills and everyday essentials but also have money left over for eating out and vacations," said Bankrate's economic analyst Sarah Foster. However, the recent period of high inflation and economic uncertainty has chipped away at most consumers' buying power, according to Carolyn McClanahan, a certified financial planner and founder of Life Planning Partners in Jacksonville, Florida. "One major issue is that wages have been stagnant for a large majority of the population over that time, and prices continue to rise," said McClanahan, who also is a member of CNBC's Advisor Council. "Add that to the backdrop of political instability everyone is feeling, and I think that is a perfect formula for people not feeling financially secure." Further, households are also facing surging child-care expenses, ballooning auto loans, high mortgage rates and record rents along with the resumption of student loan payments. But a deterioration of the American dream has been decades in the making, according to Bankrate's Foster. "It starts long before the pandemic," she said. "There has long been this perception that we used to be in this golden age where you could own a home, a car, and get by on a single income — that is a bygone era." A separate survey by Edelman Financial Engines from 2024 had similar findings: 58% of adults said they would need to earn $100,000 on average to not worry about everyday living expenses, and one-quarter said they would need to earn more than $200,000 to feel financially secure. In most cases, feeling financially secure is not based on how much you earn, but rather a commitment to save more than you spend and maintain a well-diversified portfolio, experts often say.

San Francisco Chronicle​

an hour ago

• San Francisco Chronicle​

Jerash: Fiscal Q4 Earnings Snapshot

FAIRFIELD, N.J. (AP) — FAIRFIELD, N.J. (AP) — Jerash Holdings (US), Inc. (JRSH) on Monday reported a loss of $153,000 in its fiscal fourth quarter. The Fairfield, New Jersey-based company said it had a loss of 1 cent per share. The company posted revenue of $29.3 million in the period. For the current quarter ending in June, Jerash said it expects revenue in the range of $38 million to $40 million. _____