Sempra Energy plans to build two production units known as trains at the site that are capable of producing up to 11 million metric tons of LNG each year. The new plant is expected to be completed in January 2023 as part of an investment estimated to be worth at least $5.6 billion.

“I would much prefer that we didn’t need (tax) incentives, but we don’t live in an ivory tower,” Dale Craymer, president of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, said during a hearing over House Bill 2438, which would reauthorize the two types of tax abatements through 2032.

The possibility of landing a second Chevron Phillips plant in Orange County has prompted debate on whether tax breaks are the best way to entice new companies to the area. County commissioners, and many residents, have said the investment could be a game changer for the local economy, so incentives should be offered as such

One of the top priorities for businesses during this session appears to be preserving Chapter 312, an economic development law that lures development through tax abatements.

The Victoria Economic Development Corp. wants to ensure the tax code that allows local governments to offer incentives for new-build investments in Texas is extended during the 2019 Texas Legislature.