BLOG: THE PERFECT STORM — NATIONAL SECURITY, DECEPTION, AND THE VACUUM OF SAFETY IN NACOGDOCHES COUNTY

 

Published: March 12, 2026

 

Nacogdoches County is currently the "Ground Zero" for a dangerous experiment in unregulated industrial expansion. What is being sold to us as "clean energy" is actually a high-stakes gamble involving foreign influence, deceptive corporate filings, and a total collapse of safety oversight.

I. THE CCP THREAT: SKIRTING THE LONE STAR PROTECTION ACT
Texas law is clear: The Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act (LSIPA) prohibits companies tied to hostile foreign governments—specifically the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—from accessing our critical infrastructure. However, in the Piney Woods, we are seeing evidence that these rules are being ignored:

Contradictory Filings: Developers like Parliament Energy  have stood before our community and claimed their projects (like Spindletop/Banita Creek) will not include battery storage. Yet, official ERCOT and PUC filings (pg. 29) clearly show these projects are designed with massive Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

The Equipment Discrepancy: On-site equipment list and site map do not match what has been reported to the state. This "bait and switch" allows developers to potentially install prohibited CCP-aligned hardware—such as CATL components currently under investigation by Attorney General Ken Paxton —without anyone at the county or state level verifying the source.

II. THE FIRE SAFETY VACUUM: NO MARSHAL, NO OVERSIGHT
While these developers bring in thousands of lithium-ion batteries—which are prone to "thermal runaway" and release toxic gases—there is zero professional fire oversight in our county:

No County Fire Marshal: Nacogdoches County currently lacks a dedicated County Fire Marshal. This means there is no local authority to inspect industrial sites or enforce life-safety codes.

The State "Opt-Out": When residents looked to the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) for help, the answer was terrifying: the SFMO has explicitly stated they are not responsible for NFPA 855 oversight (the national standard for battery storage safety) on these private industrial sites.

Volunteers at Risk: Without a Fire Marshal to mandate NFPA 855 compliance, our local volunteer fire departments are being left to walk into a potential chemical disaster with no training, no specialized equipment, and no emergency plan from the developers.

III. WHY WE NEED A MORATORIUM NOW
Our County Commissioners are currently paralyzed, waiting for the Attorney General’s opinion on RQ-0634-KP, which would clarify their authority to pause these projects. We cannot afford to wait. Other counties, like Van Zandt, have already acted to protect their residents from CCP influence and environmental destruction. Nacogdoches County must be empowered to:

    -Inspect all equipment to ensure compliance with the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act.
    -Enforce NFPA 855 safety standards before a single battery is placed in our soil.
    -Stop construction in floodplains that endangers downstream neighbors and our water supply.

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The developers are counting on our silence and the state's lack of authority. It is time to prove them wrong.

 

TAKE ACTION: CONTACT THE AUTHORITIES

Attorney General’s Opinion Committee: Email opinion.committee@oag.texas.gov and reference RQ-0634-KP. Tell them Nacogdoches County needs the authority to protect our grid and our lives.  Sample Brief to AG

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