The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in Fort Bend County
By Haley Schulz
I grew up in Fort Bend County, known for its charming, small-town aesthetic. Today, Fort Bend is on track to double its population by 2045, making it one of the fastest-growing counties in the country.
Fort Bend County offers a suburban life for Houstonians who enjoy access to culture and big-city amenities without industrial pollution and traffic. Or so I thought. Working with community leaders and members, I learned about the social injustices plaguing our county. There have been new battles, ongoing conflicts, and even victories worth celebrating in recent months.
The Good
In 2024, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) launched the Texas Energy Fund (TEF) to offer taxpayer-backed financing to stabilize our electric grid by constructing new generating capacity. However, the TEF was not all-inclusive and exempted solar and wind projects. Instead, only methane-burning power plant projects were approved for TEF funds.
The City of Sugar Land, the county’s largest city, made plans to lease city-owned land for a developer to build a 148MW gas-powered peaker plant, costing $146 million. Once the public learned about this, opposition quickly grew in other Fort Bend County communities, not just Sugar Land. At town halls, Sugar Land officials justified the decision, claiming that the power would be used locally or bring financial benefits. However, residents successfully highlighted the health, environmental, and economic threats of a gas plant so close to home.
Despite the TEF rejecting the Sugar Land project, city officials pursued other funding opportunities. To match that energy, community pressure for accountability and transparency grew. In mid-February, the city announced it would terminate the lease agreement with the developer, pausing the project for the foreseeable future.
Fort Bend County residents are determined to keep fossil fuel pollution out of our neighborhoods. Rather than continue investing in fossil fuels which have been proven unreliable, unhealthy, and costly, Fort Bend should instead seek solar and battery storage opportunities.
The Bad
On the east side of Fort Bend County are the quiet, quickly growing towns of Rosharon and Arcola. Brimming with new residential development, retail spaces, and new schools, it is a part of Fort Bend sought after by new families and retirees alike.
East Fort Bend County has also seen a sharp increase in industry. Compared to neighboring Harris County, Fort Bend has more available space and has been hit by only one non-attainment status for ozone by federal authorities, making the county a prime candidate for industrial growth.
Last year, residents in a collection of neighborhoods discovered a concrete crusher facility planned to move in next to homes, schools, and churches. Community members banded together to request a public meeting with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to challenge the Julpit facility’s air permit. The organizing and media attention was successful.
In January, a Motion to Overturn was raised at the TCEQ commissioner’s meeting. After hearing from all parties, the commissioners temporarily denied the permit .
A permit denial from the TCEQ is unheard of. Securing this pause was a major victory for the people in Rosharon and Arcola. But the work continues, as Fort Bend residents must mobilize again if Julpit reapplies. Residents will continue the fight to protect our communities from the influx of industry and the harmful emissions that come with it.
The Ugly
Then there is the W.A. Parish Generating Station near Richmond.
I have lived here my entire life and only recently learned about Parish. It’s the largest coal power plant in Texas and one of the dirtiest and deadliest in the country.
Parish has existed since the late 1950s, yet not many people know its name or what it does.
Parish has the most populated 20-mile radius of any coal plant in Texas (over 1.7 million people). With plumes of coal emissions that sit or travel through the area and across state lines, Parish is an insidious source of pollution impacting millions of people.
According to a study from Rice University, Parish is responsible for 178 premature deaths every year due to harmful emissions, like particulate matter and sulfur dioxide, that contribute to asthma attacks, heart disease, and increased risk of cancer. According to the Toxic Release Inventory Tracker with the EPA, Parish accounts for 66% of all toxic releases in Fort Bend County. The 2022 Fort Bend County Human and Health Services report adds that cancer and heart disease are the county’s leading causes of death.
But local community leaders and residents are doing something about it.
In the past year, NRG Energy (the owner of W.A. Parish) applied for two permits, which allowed the Close Parish Coal coalition to alert the communities of the increased air emissions the new permits could authorize. After months of canvassing, hosting teach-ins, collecting data, and engaging with the public, we finally had a public hearing with the TCEQ in January, where community members voiced concerns with Parish and the permit. Because it is a federal operating permit, the TCEQ will issue their decision on the permit approval first, then the EPA must review it with the TCEQ. The coalition plans to continue driving public participation at the state and federal level.
These efforts are beginning to pay off, as whole neighborhoods and communities learn about Parish and take action.
…and the Better?
There’s no denying Fort Bend County holds opportunities for new residents, incoming industry, and innovation. But without safeguards, Fort Bend will quickly become another dumping ground, harming the most diverse county in Texas. Social and environmental injustice must be addressed and righted to thrive and welcome new residents.
Since Fort Bend is home to the largest coal plant in Texas, it would make sense for us to also have unbiased, regulated air monitoring. The TCEQ and EPA must provide ambient air monitoring for Fort Bend County and install air monitoring to measure particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen at the very least. Measuring and providing this data to regulatory entities and the public will underscore the need for more stringent regulation and community protections.
We will fight for our home and demand a cleaner Fort Bend County.
Haley Schulz is an organizer with the Texas office of Public Citizen, and lives in Fort Bend County.