
Nathaniel Fagelson
Intern
New interactive map shows the most polluting Texas power plants, refineries, chemical plants and other industrial facilities
Intern
Executive Director, Environment Texas Research & Policy Center
Texas is home to eight of the top 50 facilities with the most greenhouse gas emissions in the country, according to a new analysis from Frontier Group. And a new interactive map from Environment Texas Research and Policy Center shows every facility in Texas which reports greenhouse gas pollution to the EPA (2022 data – the most recent). Texas emits more greenhouse gases than any other state, emitting more than twice as much as runner up, California. Most of Texas’ greenhouse gas emissions come from the electric power, industrial, and transportation sectors.
Let’s count down the top 10 greenhouse gas emitters in Texas:
The Motiva Refinery in Port Arthur is one of the largest refineries in the nation, producing 720,000 barrels of oil daily. It is 100% owned by Aramco, the Saudi-owned oil giant. Motiva is one of the top three emitters of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane in southeast Texas, according to an analysis of EPA data by the Beaumont Enterprise. Furthermore, Motiva is one of the top four refineries in the country for three types of water pollution: selenium, nitrogen, and total dissolved solids, according to a recent study from the Environmental Integrity Project.
ExxonMobil’s refinery in Beaumont is one of the largest in the nation. Owned 100% by ExxonMobil, the refinery completed a $2 billion expansion last year that increased its processing capacity by 65% to 630,000 barrels per day. According to the EPA, the cancer risk in Beaumont from pollutants falls in the 95th to 100th percentile nationwide. A 2023 report from the Environmental Integrity Project shows that ExxonMobil Beaumont ranked third in the country by dissolved solids water pollution.
The J. K. Spruce Power Plant is a 1,444-megawatt coal-fired power plant in San Antonio owned by CPS Energy, San Antonio’s municipal electricity utility. New data released by Frontier Group found that J.K. Spruce released 7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, making it the 42nd-worst climate polluter in the country. According to a 2023 study, the power plant was responsible for 170 excess deaths from 1999 to 2020. Last year, CPS Energy’s board of directors voted to shut down coal operations at J. K. Spruce by 2028; the company will retire one unit of the plant completely while converting the other to run on methane gas.
The Galveston Bay Refinery is a crude oil refinery with a refining capacity of 631,000 barrels per day, one of the largest in the nation. The refinery also hosts a 1,055-megawatt co-generation facility that produces electricity and steam. The site is owned by Marathon Petroleum Corporation. Galveston Bay Refinery ranks number 38 for climate pollution nationally, releasing 7.4 million metric tons of GHG emissions in 2022. According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Galveston Bay Refinery had more emissions incidents in 2023 than any other refinery in Texas. In 2023, Marathon failed to fix a leaking pump, allowing flammable chemicals to escape, and resulting in a fatal explosion that killed a worker. This is not an outlier for Galveston Bay, which has seen more emergency incidents than any other refinery in Texas since 1999 according to TCEQ.
The Limestone Electric Generating Station is a 1,689-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Jewett. The plant is owned by NRG Energy, and ranks number 32 in the country for greenhouse gas emissions. The Clean Air Task Force estimates that Limestone is responsible for 29 annual premature deaths. The plant is expected to shut down or convert to another fuel source by 2030.
The Sam Seymour Power Plant, also known as the Fayette Power Project, is a 1,690-megawatt coal-fired power plant near La Grange. The plant is 63.4% owned by the Lower Colorado River Authority and 36.6% owned by Austin Energy. Sam Seymour released 10.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2022, putting it at number 14 for climate pollution nationally. According to a 2023 study, Sam Seymour was responsible for 1,200 excess deaths from 1999 to 2020. Pecan farmers in the area claim that sulfur dioxide pollution from the plant has killed their crops. In 2020, the Austin City Council approved a plan to leave Austin Energy’s share of the plant by 2022, but that deadline came and went. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson recently called for Austin Energy to pull out of the plant by 2029, noting that the site accounts for three-quarters of Austin Energy’s emissions and about one quarter of Austin’s overall emissions.
The W. A. Parish Generating Station, located southwest of Houston, is home to two power plants: a 2,514-megawatt coal plant and a natural gas plant. The site is owned by NRG Energy. By emitting some 12.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2022, the W.A. Parish facility ranks as the seventh-worst climate polluter in the country. It’s among the top nine facilities that together released more greenhouse gases in 2022 than 33 individual states released in 2021. W. A. Parish is also the eighth-deadliest coal plant in the nation; it’s responsible for 109 annual premature deaths according to a Sierra Club analysis of data from the Clean Air Task Force. A 2023 study found that W. A. Parish was responsible for 3,500 excess deaths from 1999 to 2020. Nearly 400,000 people live within 12 miles of the plant, making it a dangerous neighbor for many Houston-area residents.
ExxonMobil owns a Baytown complex that houses three plants: a refinery, a chemical plant, and an olefins unit. ExxonMobil Baytown is the sixth-worst climate polluter in the nation, emitting 12.6 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2022. The facility has a lengthy history of pollution violations. In 2017, a federal judge ordered ExxonMobil to pay a penalty of almost $20 million for releasing millions of pounds of illegal air pollution.
Oak Grove is a 1,795-megawatt coal-fired power plant near Franklin in Robertson County, north of College Station. The plant is owned by Vistra Corp.’s subsidiary Luminant. Oak Grove is the fifth-dirtiest power plant in the entire nation, emitting nearly 12.7million metric tons of greenhouse gasses in 2022. Pollution from Oak Grove has been responsible for an estimated 180 deaths from the plant’s opening in 2010 through 2020.
Martin Lake, the worst greenhouse gas emitter in the state, is a 2,250-megawatt coal-fired power plant near Tatum in Rusk County, southeast of Longview. The plant also is owned by Luminant. In recent years, the Sierra Club exposed Martin Lake as the top source of sulfur and mercury pollution in the United States. It is also the fourth-highest greenhouse gas emitter in the nation, emitting 13.3 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2022, equivalent to the emissions produced by 3.2 million gas powered cars in a year. A 2023 study found that pollution from Martin Lake was responsible for 4,100 excess deaths from 1999-2020. The EPA says the area surrounding Martin Lake has dangerous levels of sulfur dioxide.
Intern
Nathaniel Fagelson is a student at Stanford University and interned for Environment Texas during the summer of 2024.
As the executive director of Environment Texas, Luke is a leading voice in the state for clean air and water, parks and wildlife, and a livable climate. Luke recently led the successful campaign to get the Texas Legislature and voters to invest $1 billion to buy land for new state parks. He also helped win permanent protection for the Christmas Mountains of Big Bend; helped compel Exxon, Shell and Chevron Phillips to cut air pollution at four Texas refineries and chemical plants; and got the Austin and Houston school districts to install filters on water fountains to protect children from lead in drinking water. The San Antonio Current has called Luke "long one of the most energetic and dedicated defenders of environmental issues in the state." He has been named one of the "Top Lobbyists for Causes" by Capitol Inside and received the President's Award from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society for his work to protect Texas parks. He is a board member of the Clean Air Force of Central Texas and an advisory board member of the Texas Tech University Masters of Public Administration program. Luke, his wife, son and daughters are working to visit every state park in Texas.