Statement from the Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter on TCEQ Approval of Project Matador Gas Plant Permits
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2026
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jordan Goodrich, Chapter Communications Manager
214-733-4874 | jordan.goodrich@sierraclub.org
AUSTIN, TX - The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s decision to approve air permits for the massive gas-fired power plants tied to Project Matador is a devastating setback for clean air, responsible planning, community accountability, and process transparency in Texas.
With this vote, TCEQ has greenlit what could become the largest gas plant in the United States - more than 5,100 megawatts of gas-fired generation. The permitted pollution levels are staggering: thousands of tons per year of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and other harmful pollutants, along with more than 23 million tons of greenhouse gases annually.
More than 279 public comments were initially submitted to TCEQ in opposition to the project. Panhandle residents raised serious concerns about air pollution, water use, impacts to agriculture and cattle operations, and the long-term viability of the project itself. Many of those concerns remain unresolved.
On Wednesday morning, TCEQ did not allow for public comments on the permits at the meeting. No public testimony was allowed during the meeting, though several individuals and organizations signed up to provide input. In fact, they did not even call on the Office of Public Interest Counsel to speak, even though OPIC had recommended that a “Contested Case Hearing” be granted for a group known as Panhandle Taxpayers for Transparency.
“TCEQ is losing the trust of Texans and must do better than rubber stamping massive industrial projects. The decision by the three commissioners to ignore the recommendations of OPIC, deny any contested case hearings and issue the permits is devastating” said Cyrus Reed, Legislative and Conservation Director of the Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter. “While local citizens and groups still have some legal recourse, this decision ignores hundreds of comments and concerns about how the 93 gas units that are being proposed by Fermi will impact health and climate outcomes due to particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and ozone.”
Project Matador is a privately driven industrial complex designed to power an enormous AI data center campus - one that has already faced instability and uncertainty. Yet it is local families, ranchers, and workers who will bear the burden for generations to come.
The Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter remains in solidarity with Amarillo-area residents and community groups who have worked tirelessly to demand transparency and accountability. TCEQ caved today to industry pressure despite public outcry, and we will work to hold them accountable for this irresponsible and dangerous decision.
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