Officials announced a $16 billion natural gas generation plant is set to be built in Anderson County, southwest of Tyler.
The plant, operated by NextEra Energy Resources, will reportedly have a generation capacity of 5.2 gigawatts. One gigawatt can power up to 250,000 homes in Texas during peak demand.
The report comes after President Donald Trump and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick approved the new power generation, with two plants set to be built in Texas and Pennsylvania.
The plants are expected to generate a combined 10 gigawatts and come as part of a “connection with Japan’s $550 billion investment commitment to the United States as part of the U.S.-Japan trade deal,” according to a NextEra Energy release.
“We are pleased that our Texas and Pennsylvania hubs have been selected to advance the President’s goal of American energy dominance.”
State Rep. Cody Harris (R–Palestine), who was at the White House when the decision was made, said in a Facebook post, “This will be a massive investment in HD 8 which will have a multi-generational impact. Very exciting day for our area!”
Harris also stated that the plant would bring in many long-term, high-paying jobs and allow for a decrease in property taxes.
In addition to the two natural gas plants, small modular nuclear reactor projects totaling about 3 GW are planned for Tennessee and Alabama. These new builds, according to the White House, are intended to help balance out electricity prices and boost U.S. leadership.
