Texas City has given the go-ahead to one of the city’s biggest battery energy storage projects: Spearmint Energy’s 300-megawatt Red Egret facility. The city commission vote, completed this week, eliminates the final zoning and development hurdles facing the $47 million tax-generating facility.
Situated on 38 acres north of Moses Bayou, Red Egret will be able to store as much electricity as is needed to ensure grid stability at times of heavy usage and extreme weather. The size ranks among the largest battery energy facilities in the Houston–Galveston area, a region undergoing accelerated industrial development and increasing demand for power.
Spearmint Energy revealed that it would break ground on the facility towards the end of 2025 or early 2026 and expects operations to begin by late 2026 or early 2027. The project site, which is located next to the Freeway Park substation, was chosen because of its proximity to grid facilities. Moreover, the site has the potential to accommodate large-scale energy storage.
District S-P
City commissioners also approved a stand-alone zoning category for battery energy storage facilities and designated Red Egret under the new “District S-P” designation. That is a policy shift that may make it simpler in the future to approve approvals of similarly sized high-capacity energy projects.
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Company executives said the size and location of the project will give Texas City a decisive edge in helping avoid outages and reduce grid volatility at peak demand. Additionally, residents in the area came to its defense, harkening to the system’s ability to keep air conditioners humming and lights on through hurricanes and heatwaves of summer.
Once up and running, Red Egret will be a major element in meeting the increasing demand for electricity on the Gulf Coast—while generating millions of dollars in long-term tax dollars for the city.
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Red Egret Battery Energy Storage Facility in Texas City: Factsheet
Location: Texas City, Texas
Developer: Spearmint Energy
Project Status: Approved – Awaiting Construction
Key Project Details
Capacity: 300 megawatts
Site Area: 38 acres
Tax Revenue: $47 million
Site Location: North of Moses Bayou, near Freeway Park substation
Timeline
Approval: Unanimous city commission vote (August 2025)
Construction Start: Late 2025 / Early 2026
Operations Begin: End of 2026 / Early 2027
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