Back

Director's Picks

A colossal giveaway": A tax break for big polluters is also starving public schools in Texas

Summary

The Corpus Christi Liquefaction complex, operated by gas giant Cheniere, has three "trains" that began operating in 2019 and generate 16.5 million tons of LNG per year for export to hungry markets in Europe, Asia, and other countries. The plant will add seven smaller trains with 11 million tons of capacity. Hundreds of projects like these throughout Texas have benefited from Chapter 313, a two-decade-old tax abatement scheme that opponents have called free money for big business. The Houston Chronicle valued the almost 900 deals at $31 billion. Chapter 313, designed to attract corporations to Texas, allows firms to lock in a low property assessment for a planned industrial project for 10 years in return for economic development guarantees and school district kickbacks. In 2020, school boards granted Chapter 313 abatements totaling about $11 billion over 10 years, diverting funds from statewide school financing. Three agreements for Cheniere's Corpus Christi Liquefaction facility development in Gregory-Portland Independent School District are worth $172 million in tax savings throughout their lifetimes. Cheniere will repay the school district with $36 million in revenue protection and supplementary payments for lost property tax income. School districts like these payments in lieu of taxes because they are generally unrestricted and not subject to recapture by the state, which diverts education dollars from richer districts to poorer ones.

discover more

April 24, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

Laura Hautala explores how climate change is reshaping the urban landscape, prompting cities like Tacoma, Washington, to seek drought-tolerant trees from regions like Northern Cal

April 24, 2024
Energy Justice
Energy Justice

Emily Jones reports on the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court by Black voters challenging Georgia's elections for utility regulators, known as the Public Service Commission (PSC).

April 24, 2024
Energy Justice
Energy Justice

The Department of Energy's advisory committee presents a concerning assessment of the progress of the "clean" hydrogen industry, suggesting it's insufficient to meet U.S. climate

April 24, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

The latest State of the Air report by the American Lung Association reveals that over one-third of Americans, approximately 130 million people, regularly inhale unhealthy air

April 23, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

The Biden administration's announcement of $7 billion worth of project support through the Solar for All program, part of the Inflation Reduction Act

April 23, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

Maureen Penjueli, an Indigenous advocate from Fiji, voices skepticism about the concept of "clean energy" amidst concerns about deep-sea mining's impact on her people and the envi

April 22, 2024
Environmental Racism
Environmental Racism

Environmental racism remains a pressing issue in the United States, highlighted by a series of modern-day examples that underscore systemic inequalities.

April 22, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

A lawsuit filed by a coalition of advocates and inmates against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) over extreme temperatures in state prisons

April 22, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

President Joe Biden has announced the opening of applications for the American Climate Corps, aiming to enlist 20,000 individuals in its inaugural year.

April 19, 2024
Energy Justice
Energy Justice

Reuters reports that the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will announce its plan on May 13 to expedite the development of long-distance transmission lines to accom

April 19, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

Over $300 million is being directed towards addressing the migrant crisis while longstanding issues of poverty in their communities have been overlooked for decades.

April 18, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

Newsweek reports that the National Weather Service (NWS) Climate Prediction Center forecasts a months-long drought in western Texas, exacerbating concerns about water scarcity.

April 18, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

The activism of Black-led environmental organizations, such as Outdoor Afro and Justice Outside, in combating environmental racism and advocating for marginalized communities

April 17, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has granted Houston an extension to utilize or reimburse $5.7 billion earmarked for Hurricane Harvey housing recovery

April 17, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

Efforts by the Texas Land Office and Houston City Council to locate 900 households owed relocation assistance due to the buyout of four low-income housing complexes following Hurr