Texas Gas Boom: Pipelines, LNG and Community Impact
The Texas–Louisiana Gulf Coast is in the midst of a natural gas boom, with dozens of major pipeline projects and liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals under construction. From the Permian and Haynesville fields to the Gulf’s deepwater ports, new corridors are being built to carry vast volumes of fracked gas toward coastal plants. Industry estimates show roughly 2,900 miles of new pipelines planned just to feed LNG export terminals in Texas and Louisiana. These developments promise cheaper, more reliable fuel for power plants and new jobs – but they also raise concerns among Texas homeowners about safety, land use and the long-term energy strategy of the state.
In clear, technical detail accessible to everyday readers, this article examines the routes, capacities and impacts of the Gulf Coast pipeline build-out. We explain how new lines like the 2.5‑Bcf/day Matterhorn Express (Permian Basin to Katy), 2.5‑Bcf/d Blackcomb (Waha to Agua Dulce), 1.5‑Bcf/d Trident (Katy to Sabine Pass), and others will move gas from West Texas and east Texas into the Texas pipeline grid. We also look at how U.S. LNG export terminals – including Texas projects like Corpus Christi Stage III, Golden Pass (Sabine Pass), Rio Grande (Brownsville) and Port Arthur – are expanding capacity, requiring up to 6.9 Bcf/day of additional supply by 2027. Throughout, we focus on what this means for Texans: how the surge in pipeline capacity affects energy reliability, local prices, safety, property rights, environment and the state’s energy future....
