Developer behind ‘Project Juno’ presents clean-energy and data-center plan; council and unions praise jobs and community benefits

Diligent Offshore Services presented its planned hybrid renewable-energy and data-center project to the Port Arthur City Council and community on June 17, thanking elected officials for completing a lease agreement after months of negotiation.

Founder Harris C. (Harry) Crawford III described the proposal as a vertically integrated, Black-owned energy and technology initiative that combines coastal wind, utility-scale solar, battery storage and a hurricane-resistant, liquid-cooled data center. “We are not following a certain blueprint. We are the blueprint,” Crawford said as he introduced the initiative, which he said includes a 225-megawatt coastal wind component anchored by a large solar array, battery energy storage and what he described as an 850,000-square-foot data center built to Category 5 standards.

Crawford and his cofounder Paulette Crawford presented commemorative plaques to several elected officials and thanked State Representative Christian Manuel (who was represented at the meeting) for assisting with state-level outreach. Roger King, a representative of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), told the council the project will provide not just jobs but careers, and praised the company for planning workforce pathways that could support local trades and apprenticeships.

Several council members acknowledged the project had been controversial during the review process but urged residents to evaluate outcomes over time. “This was definitely a controversial issue. It’s one that took a lot of time,” Mayor Thurman Bill Barty said. “You will never know if you’re not given an opportunity.” Council members said the project could generate significant revenue and training opportunities if it reaches the developer’s timeline.

Diligent Offshore representatives said the company will present a community benefits plan to the city’s predevelopment group; that package is intended to address workforce training, small-business contracting and neighborhood investments. The company and at least one community partner (Grama, Inc.) described specific proposed commitments: a $12 million training pool for renewable-energy jobs and a stated goal to plant seed funding in entrepreneurs.

Council members and staff did not adopt any new ordinances at this presentation; the event served primarily as a public milestone celebrating the lease agreement and introducing the company’s community-benefits outline. Councilmembers who spoke expressed guarded optimism and requested ongoing reporting as the project proceeds through permitting and development stages.

The presentation concluded with company leaders and union representatives urging coordination on workforce development and local procurement, and with council members encouraging resident engagement as the project moves forward.