Brazosport ISD board approves conditional intent for Dow Chemical JEDI tax-incentive application

At a public hearing and subsequent action item, the Brazosport ISD Board of Trustees voted to declare conditional willingness to enter into a JEDI (Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation) tax-incentive agreement regarding Dow Chemical Company’s application (Comptroller application J008).

District staff and outside consultants briefed the board on program rules and the specific terms of Dow’s proposed project, which consultants described as a high-technology carbon-capture and manufacturing facility with a total project investment the presentation estimated at about $2,700,000,000 and an initial company commitment of at least 50 jobs. The comptroller’s office issued a recommendation and a “complete” determination before sending the matter to the school district for its response.

The JEDI program, enacted by the 88th Texas Legislature in 2023, differs from the earlier chapter 313 program in multiple ways, presenters told the board: school districts can no longer require indemnity or supplemental payments from applicants; renewable-energy projects are excluded; eligible projects must meet higher job and investment minimums (presenters cited a 50-job and $100,000,000 investment threshold in Brazoria County); and projects located wholly inside a federal opportunity zone may receive taxation of 25% of appraised…