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Young County officials say environmental report for local project may be released after legal review; Plug Power loan update shared
Summary
During public comment at the Young County Commissioners Court, officials said an environmental report prepared for a local project is complete but is under legal review before release; county leaders also relayed a Plug Power update that a decision from the U.S. Department of Energy may arrive in several weeks.
County officials told the Young County Commissioners Court on an item raised during public comment that an environmental report related to a local project has been completed but remains under legal review and is not yet public.
The county official who spoke to the court said Titus retained an outside consultant to prepare the report and that Titus’ legal department is reviewing the consultant engagement letter to confirm release would not violate that agreement. “They hired a consultant. They hired an outside consultant to do it. … they don't think there's a problem with releasing it. They're just … they want their lawyers to review the engagement letter,” the official said.
The official said the file is very large and cannot be emailed; if it is released, the official plans to place it in the commissioners’ court packet and as an exhibit in the clerk’s office. “If they can release it to me and it becomes public, that's what I'm gonna do with it,” the official said.
During the same public-comments exchange, the court heard an update on Plug Power’s project status. Court members were told Plug Power’s CEO recently met with the U.S. Department of Energy’s loan office and that the company expects to hear from the secretary of energy “in the next 4 to 5 weeks” about whether a previously discussed loan will be honored. The speaker said Plug Power told DOE it might accept a reduced loan amount if it would increase federal emphasis on the company’s Texas project.
The official also said Plug Power has been in contact with data center developers that could be served by a planned pipeline connection. No formal county action was taken on the report or on Plug Power’s project during the meeting.
A resident asked whether the environmental study was prepared in-house or by an outside firm; the official replied it was done by a consultant and reiterated the county’s request that the report be provided. The official told the court the county has asked Titus for the report.
The court did not vote on the document’s release; the official said they will make the report public if the consultant’s engagement letter allows it and will provide access through the clerk’s office and the commissioners’ packet when possible.
