Texas Gas Rush: Lee County

In February 2024, Sandow Lakes Energy (SLE) proposed a 1,200-megawatt combined cycle plant located in Lee County. If this plant is built, it will rank among the largest natural gas plants in Texas.

Opposition quickly began a few months later within the community in July 2024, during a town hall meeting at the Blue Volunteer Fire Department. Since then, the proposed plant has continued to face substantial opposition from residents alarmed by its potential environmental and health impacts. Local activists banded together and formed Move the Gas Plant, a steering committee demanding that SLE relocate their construction plans to the old Alcoa industrial smelter site – away from their community and in a less populated area. They stress that the site would disrupt the livelihoods of a small rural Texas community, putting it at risk of becoming an industrial hub.

Despite local opposition, Sandow Lakes Energy applied for a $295 million loan with the Texas Energy Fund (TEF) to help with the cost of construction. However, their application was denied. Some state officials say they doubt that SLE can carry out the project without additional funding from the TEF, so it is possible that SLE will abandon the project. Additionally, they still will have to obtain air permits, among other official documentation, so they face many obstacles if they choose to move forward.