EPA Issues the Last Pending Federal Greenhouse Gas Permit in Texas
$200 million facility will bring 250 construction jobs to the McAllen area
DALLAS – (February 19, 2014) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing the final federal greenhouse gas (GHG) permit in the state of Texas. EPA has completed processing all submitted federal GHG permit applications, with the remaining applications transferred to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
“We have worked with Texas and Texas businesses to issue over 60 GHG permits, creating well over 20,000 jobs and bringing over $24 billion in projects to the Texas economy,” said Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “I am proud of our team’s innovation and tireless effort to achieve this important milestone.”
On Oct. 31, 2014, EPA announced both its approval of the state’s air plan and the withdrawal of the federal air plan, making TCEQ the primary GHG permitting authority in Texas. EPA and TCEQ worked closely with pending permit applicants during the transition period and ensured no unnecessary project delays result from this action.
The final GHG construction permit was issued to South Texas Electric Cooperative (STEC), allowing the company to build a new power plant near Edinburg, Texas. The facility will be an electric generating station used during periods of increased demand for electricity. When completed, the facility’s 12 new natural gas-fired engines will provide a fast ramp-up for electricity generation at a capacity of approximately 225 MW. The project will bring a $200 million investment and is anticipated to add approximately 250 temporary and 29 permanent jobs to the McAllen area.
In June 2010, EPA finalized national GHG regulations, which specify that beginning on Jan. 2, 2011, projects that substantially increase GHG emissions require an air permit. Since Jan. 2, 2011, projects in Texas that increase GHG emissions required an air permit from the EPA. In Texas alone, EPA has received 93 GHG permit applications from businesses since 2011.
For all information on GHG permits issued by EPA in Texas please visit: http://yosemite.epa.gov/r6/Apermit.nsf/AirP
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