(The Center Square) – Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday participated in groundbreaking ceremonies highlighting Texas’ energy expansion in both oil and gas and semiconductor manufacturing.
In Port Arthur, Abbott joined Entergy Corporation CEO Drew Marsh and Entergy Texas President and CEO Eli Viamontes and others at a groundbreaking ceremony for Entergy Legend and Lone Star power stations.
The new power stations will expand Texas’ energy capacity by adding 1,200 MW of power to supply electricity to more than 300,000 homes.
In 2023, Abbott broke ground with Marsh and Viamontes at its Orange County Advanced Power Station, a combined-cycle power plant, built near Bridge City next to Entergy Texas’ Sabine Power Plant, The Center Square reported.
Entergy Texas provides electricity to nearly 500,000 customers in 27 Texas counties. It’s a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, which provides electricity to 3 million customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
“No state provides more power generation than the great State of Texas,” Abbott said. “Today, we are expanding that leadership by breaking ground on two new massive power generation stations. We thank Entergy for investing in our state and for powering our future.”
Texas leads the U.S. in energy and electricity production and oil and gas production, among other energy sources, The Center Square has reported.
“Entergy is proud to serve Southeast Texas — a region defined by its skilled workforce, strong infrastructure, community support, and global reach,” Marsh said. “Its continued growth depends on affordable and reliable power.”
In Bryan, Abbott participated in a groundbreaking of the future site of a new Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute facility being built on the Texas A&M-RELLIS Campus.
It is among five colleges advancing semiconductor innovation and technology research and development through a new state funded initiative. The institute will focus on workforce development, disruptive, next-generation research and collaborations others in the industry to support national security initiatives.
“Texas and America must be microchip independent,” Abbott said. “We must ensure we lead the way forward. This groundbreaking is a giant step toward achieving that independence. Texas A&M is accelerating in innovation, and cementing Texas’ position as the global leader for semiconductors.”
Joining him at the event were Texas A&M University System Chancellor Glenn Hegar, A&M System Regent Jay Graham, A&M System Vice Chancellor for Research Dr. Joe Elabd, Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute Inaugural Director Dr. Steve E. Putna, among others.
The new institute is a recipient of a Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund (TSIF) grant established by the Texas’ CHIPS Act, which Abbott signed into law in 2023. It created a new Texas CHIPS Office, the TISF fund and grant, and the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium, The Center Square reported.
It was an outworking of Abbott prioritizing Texas leading the U.S. in chip manufacturing when supply chain shortages and backlogs began under the Biden administration.
Texas is the birthplace of the modern microchip. Prior to the Texas CHIPS Act, Texas already ranked first in the country for semiconductor manufacturing and design. For 15 consecutive years, Texas has ranked first in semiconductor exports.
Abbott maintains the Texas CHIPS Act and ongoing investments in the semiconductor industry “encourage semiconductor-related companies to expand in the state, further develop the expertise and capacity of Texas institutions of higher education, and maintain the state’s position as the nation’s leader in semiconductor manufacturing.”
Through the Texas CHIPS Act, nearly $700 million worth of taxpayer-funded grants is being awarded through the TSIF. Many grants have been awarded to companies with multi-billion-dollar valuations, including Samsung, a Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company subsidiary, among others, The Center Square reported.
