top of page

Reviewed by Dr. Abhishek Bhat, PhD and Chris Benjamin.​​Dr. Abhishek Bhat, PhD is an Air Compliance Team Leader and trusted advisor with over 13 years of environmental consulting experience, specifically in the areas of air permitting and compliance, air dispersion modeling, air monitoring, air toxics risk assessments, and multi-media auditing. He has broad experience assisting facilities with strategic planning for multi-media programs (both federal and state) in a wide variety of industries, including but not limited to power generation, power distribution, carbon capture and sequestration permitting, hyperscale and colocation data centers, primary and secondary aluminum manufacturing, automotive manufacturing, bulk terminal storage and distribution, lime manufacturing, pulp and paper, cement manufacturing, steel plants, railcar manufacturing, and chemical manufacturing. Dr. Bhat has extensive experience with state and federal programs in several states including Texas, Arkansas, Utah, Oregon, Kentucky, Ohio, New Mexico, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nevada, and Idaho.​Chris Benjamin is an environmental engineer and Principal in our Houston Office. He has participated in asset management, water planning and management of environmental and social risk (including compliance with WBG and IFC requirements). He is experienced in development of environmental and socio-economic risk assessment frameworks, associated analysis and projections, development of monitoring plans and mitigation measures. His experience covers in depth water, ecological and natural resources studies, providing a strong base from which to assess natural resources socioeconomics. Chris has successfully delivered water and wastewater management projects in both mining and other sectors including water management planning for BHP. He applies experience from high profile global projects to local conditions. Chris has worked on construction environmental management of numerous large scale infrastructure projects including mines, major international airports, oil and gas fields and major ports.

Overview

The Big Hill Energy Project is a proposed 1.14-gigawatt (GW) Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power plant located in Matagorda County, Texas.

 

The project is designed to support Texas’ growing demand for reliable electricity while using high-efficiency, lower-emission technology. Power generated by the facility would be delivered directly to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid.

Location

The project is located on an industrial property that was formerly a sulfur mine and community known as Big Hill (formerly Gulf). The power plant would occupy approximately 50 acres of the site. No additional adjacent land acquisition is planned.

The proposed Big Hill Energy Power Plant in Matagorda County is not affiliated or related to the Oncor’s Big Hill to Sand Land 765Kv Transmission Project In Bell County.

bottom of page