Port Arthur council approves ground lease with Diligence Offshore after heated public debate over turbines and environmental risks

Port Arthur City Council on March 18 approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a ground lease with Diligence Offshore Services LLC for about 2,274 acres of city-owned land for energy development, including “solar energy facilities, a substation, data center, offshore energy hub and other necessary facilities.”

The vote followed more than two hours of public comment and council debate that focused largely on proposed wind-turbine construction in areas around Sabine Lake and Pleasure Island. Supporters said the project could bring jobs, training and community benefits; opponents warned of ecological, navigational and long-term economic harm and questioned the contract language and permitting pathway.

Why it matters: Council approval clears a narrow municipal step — leasing city property — but does not itself authorize construction or operation. Permits from state and federal agencies would still be required, and critics argued the lease leaves the city exposed to financial and environmental risks.

Council members who spoke described competing priorities.…