Wilbarger County residents look forward to new hydrogen plant

WILBARGER COUNTY, Texas (KAUZ) - Residents in Wilbarger County are already talking about the nearly $4 billion plant coming to their area.

Air Production and The AES Corporation have chosen Wilbarger County to build the largest hydrogen plant ever in the United States. Residents are excited and expect it to do some good.

“Things are gonna get better in this town, more places to eat,” said Gaylord Inas.

“It puts more pockets in the schools potentially, pockets in families,” added Antonio Alcanter.

The plant will bring money, expansion and opportunities to the county. The construction start date is 2027. Richard Hardcastle, the managing consultant for the Business Development of Wilbarger County, said Wilbarger won’t be the only place that will benefit from this development.

“It’s gonna be a changer for the county tax-wise and employment-wise, but I also think it’s gonna be a huge deal for the region because there will be people living in Wichita Falls and Fredrick and Seymour and everywhere else around here,” said Hardcastle.

One teacher in Wilbarger County thinks this will be a game changer.

“Rural communities like this, these are dying and so to bring jobs like that here just gives us another opportunity to grow with the rest of the country,” said Alcanter.

The plant will put the county in a category that can’t be matched, for now.

“We keep moving forward. It means as much to us as it does to the state because it’s the largest green energy producer in the state and probably close to the largest in the nation,” said Hardcastle.

“More places to go and restaurants. I just like to see it build up and then be still. It needs help, it needs help, it’s going to get there sounds like to me,” said Jean and Gaylord Inas.

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