Change is Coming- Development Sought
With over $3 billion in new construction undergoing permitting, Matagorda County is poised for major growth and change. This change will add 1,320 MW of new power production to the 2,700 MW currently generated here. The proposed project will bring 2,000 construction workers and 200 permanent jobs between 2011 and 2015. We need builders and developers of new residential, retail and service products to support this coming surge.
What We Have
- multiple modes of transportation including barge and two rail companies
- surface water, gulf water, large supplies of potable and brackish water
- large tracts of flat land
- an aggressive educational "grow your own skilled employees" program
- pipelines for oil, gas, hydrogen, nitrogen, ethylene, oxygen and liquefied gas
Where We Want To Go
- green energy expansion in our agriculture sector
- alternative fuels production
- diversifying Matagorda County into a larger energy cluster
Building an Energy Cluster - Expanding on Our Assets
Matagorda County is positioning itself as an "energy cluster" for conventional and "green" power generation and energy fuels production. An existing nuclear plant is in the permitting process to double to four reactors, and a solid-fuel power plant is in permitting. Oil and gas have been produced here since the 1920s. Numerous oil, gas and chemical pipelines cross the county. We have producing wells, gas processing plants and existing salt dome storage facilities for oil and gas as part of our "energy cluster". We have the climate, wind and large agricultural tracts for solar, wind, algae-to-green fuels and biomass production. We want to expand our agricultural products into also growing crops for renewable fuel production.
In addition to energy production, LyondellBasell, OXEA and Celanese plants turn petroleum products into plastic resins, solvents, acetates and many other chemical products. A small specialty chemical plant, which will produce compounds for the oil field industry, is under construction.
But we have more. We have 67 miles of beach on the Gulf of Mexico, 63 miles of which will remain undeveloped. We have two large shallow bays. We are known for our excellent bay and off-shore fishing. We host 60+ fishing tournaments annually. The Colorado and Tres Palacios Rivers and Caney Creek provide freshwater fishing. 200 shrimp and oyster boats operate from the county. Matagorda County is also known as a prime birding location, having recorded the most species sighted during the national one-day Audubon Christmas bird counts for 13 of the past 14 years (234 species in the 2110 count). Goose and duck hunting are seasonal attractions, and bay and river kayaking and canoeing are growing in popularity.
Matagorda County has a strong historical heritage. The village of Matagorda was the primary entry port for Stephen F. Austin's early colony. It still has a large number of historic and architecturally interesting homes and sites. Bay City has mapped historic home tours. Museums in Bay City and Palacios contain artifacts from the "Belle", one of LaSalle's ships that sank in 1686. Our ranching and farming history continues today. We have sixth and seventh generation ranch families. Twice annual cattle drives still occur down public highways and include swimming the Colorado River to and from pasturing on Matagorda Peninsula. Our farmers produce large quantities of rice, sorghum, corn and cotton. We want to expand into crops for renewable fuel production.
We are poised for growth. Come! Join us in making it happen.
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