ANNOVA LNG SCRAPPED AT THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE; IS THIS THE FIRST OF THE PORT'S LNG DOMINOES FALLING?

"Due to changes in the global LNG market, Annova LNG has announced the immediate discontinuation of its liquified natural gas export facility under development in Brownsville, TX. The project had proposed building a 6.5 MTPA liquified natural gas (LNG) export facility on the Port of Brownsville.

The entire Annova team is very grateful to the greater Brownsville community for having supported this project for several years. We are in the process of notifying our supporters, commercial partners and regulatory agencies of this decision. The Annova LNG project was being jointly developed by its majority owner Exelon Corporation and minority owners Black & Veatch Corporation, Kiewit Energy Group Inc. and Enbridge Inc."

*At its peak, construction was to require 1,200 personnel, with an average of 700 on-site jobs during the 44-month construction period, and generate a total of $324 million in direct labor income.

*Annova LNG would support an average of 2,753 direct, indirect and induced Texas jobs each year of the terminal’s construction, with a total of $1.1 billion in labor income.

*Once completed, the project’s ongoing operation would create 165 permanent jobs in the Brownsville community with an average base wage of $70,000.

On the other hand, the Sierra Club Gulf Coast Campaign representative Bekah Hinojosa stated that: "The combined impact of these three proposed projects would be devastating for the region, threatening Indigenous rights, community health, wildlife, and the climate.

The oil and gas industry has made their interest in export facilities clear as a pathway to drive new markets for dirty fuels. Communities living near these operations and infrastructure are impacted by pollution and health risks, and then pollution is exported overseas, contributing to climate change and poor health outcomes.

“Today’s victory is the result of six years of tireless efforts of the Rio Grande Valley communities in South Texas who have written comments, attended hearings, protested banks, and more to protect their health, their precious coastline and the climate from Annova LNG’s proposed fracked gas project. No LNG export terminal has any place in our communities or our energy future, and today’s news is a step in the right direction to putting an end to exporting fracked gas across the world.

If built, Annova LNG would have destroyed wetlands, blocked a wildlife corridor threatening the survival of endangered wildlife, and put communities needlessly at risk."

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

The planned Annova LNG plant, was located on 731 acres along the south side of the Brownsville Ship Channel. Its purpose was to receive natural gas from the Agua Dulce, Texas area, provide any treatment necessary before, chill the natural gas until it condenses into LNG, store such LNG pending loading for tanker transport, and load the LNG onto LNG tankers for export to other countries.

This has turned out to be much like the SDI steel plant project that was being promoted by the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation of recent failure to launch (and it wasn't just about the real-estate speculation) and multiple high profile projects that have never materialized, but the high cost of "marketing" by city officials who took it out of the hands of economic development specialists even though they are ill-qualified to negotiate equity/corporate deals. 

This is not nit-picking. This is the reality of past and future projects where high stakes poker is being played with rank amateurs on our side of the table. 

If indeed an astute qualified ,successful negotiator with a good track record even considered running its economic development efforts, he would come up (and has run against) entrenched "paisano" culture/mentality. More time and energy would be spent arguing and attempting to dismantle the ruinous current hierarchy, than actual progress made. 

Yes, McAllen and even Harlingen have already figured it out with success story mayoral candidates running for current office there. Current mayor, sweet little guy just weak and intimidated and not capable of moving this city forward. It's frustrating to watch the defense of the indefensible behavior of this city. 

There will be no change, no matter who locals run for the foreseeable future when the town is led by those that don't know that they don't know. People in this town are looking for "Mr. Amigo" likeable type candidates with good intentions and low understanding. 

How has that worked out? It sometimes take a no-nonsense bulldozer who will demolish the excess. How many more local government offices are going to be constructed as if that's progress. Look at the pictures of the people running for commissioner and school board. Looks like a Cameron county mugshot parade.

You can't have an EDC without extensive knowledge of exactly that – economic development – and not one that is chaired by a political appointment of a baby faced 17 year-old with 3 years experience of creating nothing (bicycles and coffee?) Jesus. The currents and ilk will not move the mark and if you want to time travel, it's five years from now and no more corporate relocations than has happened for the last 20 years. 

There are no "real" companies coming here.Why? Come on...

A plethora of resources that no other city in the valley has, just rotting in the sun and subsequently no serious job creation as a result. Have heard the argument for years" Just wait and see"(for another blood bank). The only thing that has moved the mark is Mexican nationals money. Period. Thanks goodness for them, other than the horrific architecture.

This much is a fact...that without the right person(and who will probably be disliked) this city will not shake off the chains. Not among the current crop from port to city. Consider that next time you look at the candidates, and vote, none of the above. Starts at the top. If your answer is move on, there is your answer.