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For decades, the City of Brownsville on the Gulf Coast near the Mexican border has been home to a variety of industries such as the building of ships and offshore structures, electrical component production for the automotive sector and as a base for aerospace industries.

The Port of Brownsville, a major transportation hub since 1936, offers deep-water channel access, direct dock and rail connectivity, world‑class cargo-handling capabilities and foreign trade zone status advantages. This has positioned the city and port as one of the fastest-growing industrial zones on the Gulf Coast.

Most recently, the surge in world oil prices has brought renewed focus to Brownsville with the announcement of new energy and technology investments.

In early March, President Donald Trump used his social media platform to proclaim a new major oil facility in Brownsville called the America First Refining Project, the result of an investment by Reliance Industries, a private energy company based in India. Trump called this a “massive win” for the United States and what he claimed was the “FIRST new U.S. Oil Refinery in 50 YEARS.”

It’s not a new proposal. State permits for the oil refinery were, in fact, obtained five years ago. Since then, the project changed hands three times. Construction deadlines for the start of work were also extended three times. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued its “third and final” construction start deadline for October 2027, threatening the cancellation of the entire project. The investment by Reliance Industries has given it new life.

The refinery as by the Port of Brownsville would occupy more than 240 acres within the port and would process 100 per cent domestic shale oil using advanced, hydrogen-powered systems to produce ultra‑low‑carbon fuels.

Approximately 500 direct full-time jobs, with projected annual salaries ranging from $80,000 to $100,000, would be created, along with thousands of additional indirect jobs across construction, logistics and long-term operational support industries.

The Port says the project represents “one of the most significant industrial investments in south Texas history.” 

Charles McConnell, a former assistant energy secretary with the Barack Obama administration, told although it was too early to say if the refinery would actually be built, “When you have a company like Reliance in the conversation, it makes it a lot more plausible. You have more arrows pointing in the right direction with major players that are serious.”

Despite claims made by the Port and America First Refining that, “protecting regional waterways, coastal ecosystems and community health will remain top priorities throughout the project’s development,” not everyone is convinced it should be built.

In a March12 , the called the project a “zombie oil refinery,” and said if completed would “severely harm the Rio Grande Valley’s shrimping and nature tourism industries, as well as destroy our sensitive ecosystem and worsen climate change.”

The greater Brownsville area is also home to other energy industry companies that are expanding their facilities.

In June 2024, Element Fuels Holdings, LLC the completion of site preparation and pre-construction for a new, hydrogen-powered refinery and combined-cycle power plant within the Port of Brownsville that is expected to be operational next year.

“The Element complex is innovatively designed to produce and recycle hydrogen using advanced technologies that will generate and deliver significantly cleaner, higher-quality fuels, including much-needed high-octane gasoline and electricity for commercial and consumer consumption.”

“A permit for a greenfield refinery of this size, scope and functionality has not been granted in the United States since the 1970s,” said Element founder and co-CEO John Calce. “This speaks to the innovative approaches we are taking to address climate and sustainability concerns in cleaner, greener ways that are new to the refinery space.”

More recently, Houston-based NextDecade Corp. in February it is seeking federal approval to further expand its Rio Grande LNG export terminal along the Brownsville Ship Channel with a proposed sixth liquefaction train, a facility that compresses and supercools natural gas.

In March, Texas LNG execution of agreements for Kiewit Energy Group Inc. to perform the engineering, procurement of equipment, module fabrication, construction and commissioning for its new LNG facility. This represents one of the final steps required before Texas LNG makes its final investment decision.

High technology industries have also discovered Brownsville. The area has been home to the SpaceX satellite launch site near Boca Chica Beach on the outskirts of the city since 2014, making a major impact on Brownsville and the surrounding region.

“SpaceX’s presence is fueling serious momentum in jobs, education, tourism and local spending,” the City of Brownsville, suggesting a contribution of over $13 billion to the regional economy over the past two years alone.

SpaceX currently employs 4,300 people. The Brownsville launch site will be used exclusively for Starship, SpaceX’s next-generation launch vehicle, suggesting employment could grow to 8,000 by the end of this year as activity ramps up.

There’s even more potential boom times coming to Brownsville.

Austin-based Saronic Technologies Inc.’s $3.2 billion has moved a step closer to realization following the approval in March of school district tax incentives representing up to $228 million in economic benefits, including property tax relief.

Saronic is focussed on the production of medium and large autonomous warships for the U.S. military and could bring 10,000 jobs as part of its decade-long buildout on more than 600 acres in the Port of Brownsville.