Last month, Gov. Greg Abbott announced company expansions, new construction and a grant to a state college.
Feb. 26, Abbott announced MP Materials Corp. will expand its presence in Texas and establish a rare earth magnet manufacturing campus in Northlake that will create more than 1,500 new jobs and represent more than $1.25 billion in capital investment.
A Texas Enterprise Fund grant of $12,880,500 has been extended to MP Materials for development of the campus’ corporate operations. In addition, a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant of $53,457,500 has been extended for the manufacturing facility on the campus that will scale the company’s capacity to produce neodymium-iron-boron magnets, a critical component for semiconductor manufacturing.
At the new facility, MP Materials will manufacture rare earth neodymium-iron-boron magnets, critical for advanced semiconductor chip fabrication. Located less than 10 miles from MP’s existing Fort Worth operations, the new campus — to be called “10X” — will significantly expand MP’s production of high-performance magnets to support U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.
Sika expansion in Sealy
Feb. 25, the governor announced an expansion by Sika Corp. in Sealy as a qualified project under the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation program. Sika will expand its manufacturing operations of PVC single-ply commercial roofing membranes in Austin County. The project represents more than $90 million in capital investment and will create 60 jobs.
A Texas Enterprise Fund grant of $519,000 and a $7,000 Veteran Created Job Bonus have also been extended to Sika.
Sika’s capital investment in Texas supports increasing demand for commercial roofing materials and positions the company closer to major metropolitan markets across the western and southern United States.
Cybersecurity grant to Texas Tech
Abbott announced Feb. 18 that his Public Safety Office has awarded $149 million to Texas Tech University to support development of an electromagnetic pulse testing site and cybersecurity infrastructure enhancements. This strategic investment strengthens ongoing efforts to safeguard the nation by advancing research that addresses escalating threats to critical infrastructure across Texas and the United States.
The grant will expand initiatives aimed at identifying vulnerabilities and reinforcing protection of essential infrastructure systems, including the electric grid, water utilities, communications networks, military systems and other assets vital to Texas’ economic stability and national security. Through this initiative, Texas Tech University will collaborate with the U.S. Army, Air Force and Navy; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; the U.S. Department of Energy; and private industry partners to advance national security research and workforce training.
The Public Safety Office administers a broad portfolio of state and federal grant programs dedicated to protecting lives and property from a wide range of threats in coordination with federal, state and local partners. The office strengthens public safety, enhances infrastructure security and safeguards the economic prosperity of Texas.
NRG Energy expansion
Feb. 17, Abbott announced that an NRG Energy Inc. electric power generation plant to be constructed at the existing NRG Greens Bayou facility in Harris County has been designated as a qualified project under the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation program. The new 455-megawatt natural gas facility represents $617 million in capital investment.
In November 2025, a Texas Energy Fund loan agreement between NRG and the Public Utility Commission of Texas was announced for the plant, which is expected to begin generating power for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas power region in 2028.
NRG President Robert Gaudette said the new 455-megawatt facility at the Greens Bayou power plant will enhance grid stability, create job opportunities and help make power more affordable for homes and businesses in Texas.
TSIF grant to LTD Material
In late January, Abbott announced that a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant of more than $1 million has been extended to LTD Material LLC for construction of a new 88,000-square-foot manufacturing and research facility in Austin that will expand production capacity for high-purity quartz parts essential to wafer fabrication and semiconductor manufacturing.
The project is expected to create 40 jobs and represents more than $25 million in capital investment.
According to the governor’s announcement, LTD Material’s precision-engineered products are essential to the wafer manufacturing process. The expansion project will include construction of a state-of-the-art manufacturing and research and development facility adjacent to its existing fabrication plant.
LTD Material will also offer specialized training for CNC machinists and glassblowers — technical roles that do not require a college degree but provide career opportunities.
