On the Sabine River at Bon Wier, the old L-P Plywood mill site was supposed to become a $1.7 billion biorefinery, backed by more than $150 million in state and local incentives. It was never built. Now the owner is marketing the same land to data centers, with talk of on-site nuclear and gas power.
Compiled by Grail Systems from news reports and public records. Checked Oct 31, 2026. Corrections welcome.
Owned by USA BioEnergy of Scottsdale, Arizona, which calls the rail-served site, in a federal opportunity zone, Innovation Park. It advertises behind-the-meter power options including nuclear and gas. A July 31, 2026 release said the owner had entered a purchase agreement with Clean Holding Company for an East Texas Energy Campus; a tracker lists it at 1.8 GW. CEO Nick Andrews then told KJAS that no sale or deal had been made, only a letter of support. Judge Ronnie Cochran says he wrote a letter of recommendation and nothing more.
USA BioEnergy picked Bon Wier for a $1.7B plant to turn wood waste into fuels, citing more than $150M in state and local incentives. The Governor welcomed it.
A 20-year agreement for up to 680 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel.
Applied Atomics was announced to supply small nuclear power, and the chairman said data centers were interested in the site.
The biorefinery has not been built.
A release said the owner entered a purchase agreement with Clean Holding Company.
The CEO told KJAS no sale or deal was made. The county judge said he only wrote a letter of recommendation.
When a project changes from one industry to another, ask what happens to the incentives granted for the first one, and whether clawbacks apply.
Bon Wier, like Lufkin's old paper mill, has rail, power lines and industrial history. Developers see that as a head start.
A judge's letter can be quoted in a press release as an endorsement. Ask officials what they have signed, and post it publicly.
The site sits on the Sabine River. Ask where any water would come from, and where wastewater would go.
KJAS (two articles, Aug 2026); East Texas Banner; KFDM (Oct 2025 and 2023); Newswire (2022); Texas Forest Country Partnership; More Than Just Parks tracker.