The Pineywoods Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) project was a key topic of discussion at the Liberty County Commissioners Court meeting on Tuesday, March 11. Jesse Fruman, project manager for the Pineywoods CCS hub for Tenaska, provided updates on the project’s progress, economic impact, and what the community can expect moving forward.
Fruman outlined three primary objectives in his presentation: updating the court on project developments over the past year, detailing the next steps, and sharing findings from the project’s economic impact study.
The Pineywoods CCS project is designed to capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from industrial facilities—such as chemical plants, natural gas plants, manufacturing sites, and paper mills—and permanently store them underground. The initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while helping industries comply with environmental regulations.
Since Fruman’s last appearance in court, significant progress has been made in securing land agreements.
“We’ve done a lot of leasing for the project,” he said. “We have buy-in from about 50 to 60 families, with just a few more to go.”
Additionally, permit applications have been submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Texas Railroad Commission, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). These regulatory bodies must approve the project before any construction begins.
Despite the progress, no construction is expected in 2025. The earliest visible work in the community would begin in mid-to-late 2026, provided the necessary permits are obtained by the end of this year.
In the coming months, Tenaska plans to hold community meetings and provide updates not only in Liberty County but also in Hardin, Jefferson, and Harris counties, where portions of the project infrastructure – the pipeline – will be located.
The Pineywoods CCS project spans 100,000 acres, though the initial injection site will cover only 10 acres, gradually expanding to 50 and then 100 acres over time. The maximum underground storage plume is estimated at 20,000 acres over the project’s 30-year lifespan.
Fruman emphasized that 99 percent of the activity will occur 10,000 feet below ground, meaning landowners can continue using their property for recreation, hunting, and other purposes.
“We’re only talking about 10 acres in a 20,000-acre footprint that would be disturbed on the surface,” he explained.
Pct. 4 Commissioner Gerald Kolarik asked whether Tenaska makes money by selling carbon credits or by storing carbon.
Fruman responded, “Yes, and yes.”
Tenaska’s business model involves charging industrial emitters a per-ton fee for carbon storage. Meanwhile, companies that produce carbon emissions receive a federal 45Q tax credit, which incentivizes participation in carbon capture.
“They use some of that revenue to build their facilities and some to pay Tenaska for storage,” Fruman explained.
Fruman reassured the court that the project would not require major infrastructure, road development, or large-scale construction. Instead, the project will involve four injection wells and 8-10 monitoring wells to track where the carbon is stored.
“The truth of the matter is, we call it Pineywoods for a reason—it’s trees and swamps,” Fruman said. “If we never came in here and built those 4 to 8 wells, probably nobody would ever know.”
While Fruman presented an optimistic outlook on the project, some residents voiced concerns about its potential impact.
Albert Meyers, a resident of Liberty County, spoke at the meeting to call for more public information on major projects being considered for the region. His comments were specifically directed at a rumored plastics recycling plant that may be proposed for the Ames area.
“This is not anti-business or anti-development, but it is definitely a scenario where I am anti not knowing,” Meyers said.
He urged county officials to ensure that residents are fully informed about potential industrial developments in their communities.
Meyers’ concerns centered on the possible environmental and infrastructure impacts of the rumored plant, including emissions, drainage, traffic, and a possible rail spur. He emphasized that transparency in these decisions is essential so that residents can understand how new developments may affect their homes, health, and quality of life.
The common thread between discussions on the Pineywoods CCS project and the rumored recycling plant was the need for open communication between developers, county officials, and the public.
With land agreements nearly finalized and permits under review, the Pineywoods CCS project remains on track for regulatory approval by the end of 2025. If approved, construction could begin in 2026, bringing economic benefits, job opportunities, and environmental advantages to the region.
In the meantime, Tenaska will continue working with the community and local officials to ensure transparency and address any concerns as the project moves forward.
In other business, Liberty County has finalized the locations for early voting in the May elections for city and school positions, as well as the Tarkington ISD school bond. Early voting will take place at the Cleveland Civic Center, the Santa Fe Administration Building in Colony Ridge, the Dayton Community Center, and the Jack Hartel Building in Liberty.
Hardin City Hall will not serve as an early voting location this time due to a lack of contested races in that area.
“It’s a bit unusual because we do not have enough activity in the Hardin area, so we will not be opening that early voting location,” said County Clerk Lee Haidusek Chambers.
In other election matters, commissioners voted in favor of a resolution opposing the elimination of the countywide polling place program, electronic poll books, and other electronic marking devices, a change proposed by the Texas Legislature.
Commissioners also discussed the county’s ongoing efforts to finalize the buyout program for flood-prone properties. The program, which focused on Sam Houston Lake Estates, New River Lake Estates, Knights Forest, and Snake River, is in its final stages, with all eligible property owners who wished to participate having already signed up.
Funded by $5.9 million in FEMA grants, the buyout program allowed property owners in high-risk flood areas to relocate. With all available funds allocated, the county is now working to complete the final transactions and paperwork before officially closing out the program. Commissioners approved an extension to allow additional time to tie up the remaining details.
Commissioners also approved a $529,621 payment to White Construction, the construction manager at risk for the Northwest Annex project.
Additionally, they approved the extension of contracts with various funeral homes for autopsy transports and pauper cremations, ensuring continued services for the county.
In other development matters, commissioners approved the replat of a property in Santa Fe Section 1 in the Colony Ridge area, clearing the way for the construction of a new AutoZone store.
Well if this doesn’t sound like a racket, I don’t know what does. What kind of bullshit is this? Carbon storage? Are they going to cut trees that remove carbon dioxide from the air to build a facility to store “carbon”?
Sounds like a bullshit scheme to me
The insanity never stops. AutoZone at CR? Thought we were going to have mass deportations.
The one in Colony Ridge will be a VatoZone.
BS!
There is NOTHING GOOD about
Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS)!
It is a SCAM!
Look it up. Every news outlet in every state where these shisters have managed to SCAM the people, are revealing that Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) is a huge FAILURE! The news can’t get out fast enough!
By the way, TEXAS is not the Federal Dump Y’ALL!
I bet Biden gave them lots of our money for this SCAM too.
The term Snakeoil sales comes to my mind. Solid BULL S&;T.
This sounds like the type of project that John Kerry would cream his jeans over. Not because it helps the environment, but because it provides an endless stream of that sweet, sweet taxpayer money.
Sounds like total bullshit- I agree. It’s like “oh look at us- we just captured all this carbon that you can’t see, and it would have ended the world if we hadn’t. We went hundreds of years without carbon sequestering, and got along fine, but this was really it, we promise. That’ll be 600 million dollars- k thanks”
Sounds a bigger scam than the New Caney Dinosaur park.
CO2 is not pollution, industrial flue gasses are. Like sweeping dirt under the rug except there are over 1M old wellbores pincushioned along the Gulf Coast through our fresh water aquifers. CO2 and salt water = carbonic acid. A CO2 flood is like an EOR to repressurise a geological reservoir. PFAS in a plume will also migrate to the path of least resistance up. This is all predicated on a false premise “Global Warming” repackaged as “Climate Change”. Yes it does 4 times a year and determined by the Sun with solar minimums and maximums. Like the Maunder Minimum and the effect on the Van Allen Belt, etc.. It’s not about climate, it is about control and always follow the money. These people will be long gone. Much worse than orphan wells. 10,000′ is the Cook Mountain geological salt water drive reservoir.