USA BioEnergy, Applied Atomics in partnership
Oct 14, Applied Atomics (AA) and USA BioEnergy announced a strategic partnership that will accelerate industrial manufacturing and e-fuel production at the Bon Wier Industrial Park, according to a news release by USA BioEnergy officials.
This partnership aligns with Texas’ pro-growth energy policies and the state’s incentives for advanced nuclear innovation. It follows USA BioEnergy’s recent announcement of a technology partnership with Johnson Matthey and Honeywell.
The 1,400-acre Industrial Park is poised to become an energy hub, with AA’s initial construction of a 100-megawatt electric power plant, offering sufficient space for expansion up to 1 gigawatt of electric power.
“Bringing reliable, low-carbon power onto the site is essential for scaling our vision. Applied Atomics approach strengthens our infrastructure and helps us to create significant quantities of green hydrogen that we will combine with biogenic CO₂ to produce ultra-low-carbon fuels at commercial scale,” said CEO Nick Andrews, of USA BioEnergy.
“We refer to the Bon Wier Industrial Park as Innovation Park; we made commitments to create jobs and spur investment in Bon Wier, and we have seen significant interest from data center developers interested in co-locating at the site,” said USA BioEnergy Chairman David Prom.
“Small advanced nuclear power is among the safest energy sources ever developed, designed with multiple layers of safety to ensure protection of the community and environment,” said Newton County Judge Ronald J. Cochran .
AA designs, builds, deploys, and operates co-located nuclear power plants for hyperscalers and industrial power consumers that require 100 MWe to 1,000 megawatt electrical (MWe).
Woodside breaks ground on $17B LNG project in Sulphur
Woodside Energy broke ground Sept. 15 on Louisiana’s $17.5 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Sulphur, marking the largest foreign investment in the state’s history, reported KLFY in Lafayette. La.
The massive project is expected to bring billions in economic impact to the Gulf Coast and create thousands of jobs, with the facility permitted for a total capacity of 27.6 million tons per annum.
“Everywhere around the globe, they’re looking to the United States because we can export stability, and if you think you’re not going to need LNG, think about what the world needs over the next ten years, we have to double the amount of electrical generation capacity,” said Gov. Jeff Landry.
According to officials, Louisiana LNG is expected to support tens of thousands of high-quality jobs in the United States, which will strengthen global energy security and generate billions of dollars in local and national revenues for infrastructure, schools and services.
“Our target is 2029, and that’s from the first train, second train, 2030, third train, 2031,” said Woodside Energy CEO Meg O’Neill
The workforce has already ramped up to nearly 900 people on site and Woodside is aiming to hire about 4,000 people at the facility. Officials stated the facility will play a critical role in stabilizing energy supply chains, supporting allies abroad and bolstering the U.S. economy at home.
Abbott announces NRG Energy Inc. expansion
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Oct. 21 that an NRG Energy, Inc. natural gas facility to be constructed at the existing T.H. Wharton Generating Station in Harris County has been designated as a qualified project under the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation (JETI) program. The new, simple cycle 456 megawatt (MW) natural gas facility represents an estimated $360 million capital investment by NRG.
In August, a Texas Energy Fund loan agreement between NRG and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) was announced for the natural gas facility, currently slated to begin operations by Summer 2026. The project will serve the Electric Reliability Council of Texas Houston Load Zone, including Houston, Pasadena, and The Woodlands, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S.
