Posted on January 19, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House and Senate both passed the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2026, securing $5 million in federal funding for the Coastal Texas Project, a historic U.S. Army Corps of Engineers effort aimed at saving lives, protecting communities, and defending nationally significant energy and industrial infrastructure on Texas’s upper coast.
This appropriation marks Congress’s largest federal investment in the Coastal Texas Project since the project’s authorization in 2022, a milestone effort led by U.S. Rep. Randy Weber (TX-14). Funding is finalized once the bill is signed by President Donald J. Trump.
The upper Texas coast is home to more than 7 million people supporting one of the nation’s largest oil, gas, and petrochemical manufacturing hubs and strategic petroleum reserves.
The region is critical to U.S. energy dominance, producing:
- 32% of the nation’s total refining capacity
- 60% of the nation’s aviation fuel
- 42% of the nation’s specialty chemical feedstock
- 80% of the nation’s military-grade fuel
“This significant federal investment in the Coastal Texas Project is critical to protecting not just our coastline, but the economic engine that powers the nation,” said Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., Texas General Land Office (GLO). “Texas is home to the largest concentration of oil and gas infrastructure in the United States, and safeguarding our coast from catastrophic storms protects every American. “Thank you to Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14) and the United States Congress for investing in Texas. This is a big step toward safeguarding our country’s economic security.”
This critical funding accelerates pre-construction, engineering, and design while driving federal coordination among the Gulf Coast Protection District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Texas General Land Office (GLO), and regional partners—pushing the nation’s largest coastal protection effort closer to reality.
“This appropriation represents a significant federal commitment to a project that protects infrastructure vital to the entire country and global supply chain. It signals to us that Congress has a strong interest in partnering with the State of Texas to advance a nationally important coastal protection effort,” said Coalter Baker, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Protection District, the project’s lead non-Federal sponsor. “We appreciate U.S. Rep. Randy Weber’s leadership in this funding milestone and recognize it will take a whole of government effort to continue to advance this project.”
Coastal Texas Project, established by Congress in 2022, carries a total authorized cost of $35 billion, shared between the federal government (65%) and the non-Federal sponsor (35%). To date, the State of Texas has appropriated $950 million to the Gulf Coast Protection District for use toward its projects.
For more information, visit gcpdtexas.com.
Media Contact:
Heather Betancourth, Communications Director, Gulf Coast Protection District
Phone: 281-917-7985
Email: heather.betancourth@gcpdtexas.com
Website: gcpdtexas.com
About the Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD)
The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) was established by the 87th Texas Legislature in 2021 to lead a unified and comprehensive coastal resilience strategy for the upper Texas coast. As the non-Federal sponsor for major components of the Coastal Texas Project and the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Project, GCPD plays a pivotal role in delivering large-scale storm surge protection and coastal restoration. Responsible for safeguarding approximately 5,220 square miles across five counties, GCPD is at the forefront of advancing the largest coastal protection initiative in U.S. history. To learn more, visit www.gcpdtexas.com.
