BEAUMONT, Texas — With only a few days left of 2023 let's take a look back at some of Southeast Texas' most read and most talked about stories of the year.
Southeast Texas industry saw huge industrial expansion projects that will cement the region as an energy powerhouse.
In 2023, Southeast Texas proved Power City is still king.
In the spring, 12News went in-depth to learn about carbon capture technology. Chevron says its Bayou Bend project in Jefferson and Chambers Counties as well as along the coast, could improve air quality and protect jobs.
It will be several years before Bayou Bend goes online.
Sempra got the funding to go ahead with a $7 billion Port Arthur LNG Project.
12News reported as work progressed on the facility being built to export LNG. But the project hit a snag late in the year when an appeals court ruled in favor of an environmental justice group.
Construction also started on a $280 million underground helium storage facility in Beaumont.
"We will drill the cavern, then we will set the surface equipment for the cavern, we will leach the cavern, and then we will put the cavern into service," previously told 12News.
Experts say helium storage is crucial for growth at SpaceX and NASA.
Chevron Phillips and Qatar Energy hatched Golden Triangle Polymers, an $8 billion plant expansion that could change Orange County forever.
For now the expansion means a lot of traffic and construction, but eventually it'll mean 500 full-time jobs.
Lastly, a $2 billion expansion for ExxonMobil's Beaumont refinery. 12News was there when the company prepared to bring the Blade Project online.
The expansion makes the Beaumont refinery one of the largest in the U.S.
ExxonMobil executives say the facility will boost fuel supply and help meet the growing demand for affordable and reliable energy.
All of these stories show that Southeast Texas is still a force to be reckoned with in the ever-evolving energy industry.