Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has announced that NRG Energy will build a $617 million natural gas power plant in Harris County.
The 455-megawatt facility at NRG’s existing Greens Bayou site will generate electricity for Texas homes and businesses starting in 2028.
The expansion comes as Texas grapples with surging electricity demand from population growth and extreme weather events. The project received designation under the state’s Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation program.
“Texas is America’s energy leader,” Governor Abbott said in a news release. “This $617 million investment by NRG in Harris County will add more power to Texas’ energy infrastructure and help meet the energy needs of Texas homes and businesses in the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the nation.”
Abbott added that “smart investments like these will power and sustain an even brighter future in Texas for generations to come.”
The Public Utility Commission of Texas approved a Texas Energy Fund loan agreement with NRG in November 2025. The plant will feed power into the ERCOT grid, which manages electricity flow for most of the state.
NRG President Robert Gaudette praised the public-private partnership behind the project.
“Moving Texas forward to meet rising energy demand involves public-private partnership, and NRG is grateful the Greens Bayou new build project is part of Governor Abbott’s innovative JETI program,” Gaudette said.
Gaudette noted the facility would “enhance grid stability, create job opportunities, and help make power more affordable for homes and businesses in Texas.”
Local school officials welcomed the economic development opportunity.
“Galena Park ISD recognizes the potential of NRG’s investment in the Greens Bayou project and the positive impact it may bring to our community,” said Galena Park ISD Superintendent John Moore.
Moore added that “projects like this support local economic development while helping ensure long-term stability for public education.”
The new facility at the Existing Greens Bayou site is just one of three expansion projects that NRG has in the works. In October 2025, NRG announced plans to construct a $360 million, 456-megawatt plant at its existing TH Wharton Generating Station in Harris County. In November, the company announced plans to build a $936 million, 721-megawatt natural gas power plant at its Cedar Bayou complex in Baytown, Texas.
