Reports related to this article:
Project(s): View 8 related projects in PECWeb
Plant(s): View 7 related plants in PECWeb
Released September 16, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
en
Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) last week gave Entergy Corporation (New Orleans, Louisiana) the go-ahead to construct two natural gas-fired power plants to help meet growing power demand in southeastern Texas. However, the PUCT has taken steps to limit construction costs to avoid unnecessary rate increases.
The dual permission applies to the proposed 754-megawatt (MW) Legend power plant in Port Arthur and the 453-MW Lone Star plant near Cleveland, resulting in more than 1,200 MW of newly available, readily dispatchable power.
However, this power won't be available for the majority of the state. Entergy Texas operates on the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) regional grid, separate from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid that covers approximately 90% of Texas' electric load and 75% of its land area. Entergy serves approximately 524,000 Texas customers across 27 counties. The MISO grid includes all or portions of 15 states ranging from the Dakotas to the Gulf Coast, including a portion of eastern Texas. The MISO South district includes that portion of Texas as well as parts of Arkansas and Mississippi and all of Louisiana--the four states in which Entergy operates--and has limited connections and assistance from other regions in MISO's coverage.
Entergy says the 754-MW Legend plant in Port Arthur will be capable of powering more than 190,000 homes and will cost about $1.6 billion to construct, while the smaller Lone Star plant near Cleveland will serve about 110,000 homes and require an investment of $799 million.
Entergy must remain near its estimated construction costs, as the PUCT's permission to build the plants comes with a $2.4 billion "hard cap" on investment in order to avoid excessive rate increases for consumers. PUCT Chair Thomas Gleeson said that while the plants were needed, "we also have the mandate to protect customers, and I think this accomplishes both."
Both plants are expected to go online in 2028. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project reports on the Legend and Lone Star plants.
The 1,200 MW that will be supplied by both plants is almost equivalent to another gas-fired plant Entergy has been constructing for the past few years in Orange County, Texas. General contractor The Industrial Company (Denver, Colorado) broke ground on the combined-cycle Orange County Advanced Power Station at the beginning of 2023, and the plant is expected to begin supplying around 1,240 MW of power to the grid next year. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
But Entergy may be adding more than just natural gas-fired power to its Texas footprint. After signing an agreement in June 2024 with NextEra Energy Incorporated (Juno Beach, Florida) to develop up to 4.5 gigawatts of solar power and energy storage, Entergy filed an application with the PUCT to construct and operate the Segno solar plant in Polk County. The PUCT's decision on the 170-MW facility is expected soon. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
However, as is trending across the U.S., Entergy's largest projects in other states also involve gas-fired generation. In the coming months, Entergy plans to break ground on the 754-MW Delta Blues combined-cycle plant near Greenville, Mississippi (see project report), and last month the Louisiana Public Service Commission gave the company the go-ahead to construct around 1,500 MW of gas-fired generation in Richland Parish to support an artificial intelligence data center from Meta Platforms Incorporated (Menlo Park, California) as well as the addition of a 750-MW gas-fired unit at its Waterford site in St. Charles Parish. The Richland units are expected to begin operating in 2028, followed by the new Waterford unit in 2029. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
The dual permission applies to the proposed 754-megawatt (MW) Legend power plant in Port Arthur and the 453-MW Lone Star plant near Cleveland, resulting in more than 1,200 MW of newly available, readily dispatchable power.
However, this power won't be available for the majority of the state. Entergy Texas operates on the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) regional grid, separate from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid that covers approximately 90% of Texas' electric load and 75% of its land area. Entergy serves approximately 524,000 Texas customers across 27 counties. The MISO grid includes all or portions of 15 states ranging from the Dakotas to the Gulf Coast, including a portion of eastern Texas. The MISO South district includes that portion of Texas as well as parts of Arkansas and Mississippi and all of Louisiana--the four states in which Entergy operates--and has limited connections and assistance from other regions in MISO's coverage.
Entergy says the 754-MW Legend plant in Port Arthur will be capable of powering more than 190,000 homes and will cost about $1.6 billion to construct, while the smaller Lone Star plant near Cleveland will serve about 110,000 homes and require an investment of $799 million.
Entergy must remain near its estimated construction costs, as the PUCT's permission to build the plants comes with a $2.4 billion "hard cap" on investment in order to avoid excessive rate increases for consumers. PUCT Chair Thomas Gleeson said that while the plants were needed, "we also have the mandate to protect customers, and I think this accomplishes both."
Both plants are expected to go online in 2028. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project reports on the Legend and Lone Star plants.
The 1,200 MW that will be supplied by both plants is almost equivalent to another gas-fired plant Entergy has been constructing for the past few years in Orange County, Texas. General contractor The Industrial Company (Denver, Colorado) broke ground on the combined-cycle Orange County Advanced Power Station at the beginning of 2023, and the plant is expected to begin supplying around 1,240 MW of power to the grid next year. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
But Entergy may be adding more than just natural gas-fired power to its Texas footprint. After signing an agreement in June 2024 with NextEra Energy Incorporated (Juno Beach, Florida) to develop up to 4.5 gigawatts of solar power and energy storage, Entergy filed an application with the PUCT to construct and operate the Segno solar plant in Polk County. The PUCT's decision on the 170-MW facility is expected soon. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
However, as is trending across the U.S., Entergy's largest projects in other states also involve gas-fired generation. In the coming months, Entergy plans to break ground on the 754-MW Delta Blues combined-cycle plant near Greenville, Mississippi (see project report), and last month the Louisiana Public Service Commission gave the company the go-ahead to construct around 1,500 MW of gas-fired generation in Richland Parish to support an artificial intelligence data center from Meta Platforms Incorporated (Menlo Park, California) as well as the addition of a 750-MW gas-fired unit at its Waterford site in St. Charles Parish. The Richland units are expected to begin operating in 2028, followed by the new Waterford unit in 2029. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
