Eight bipartisan members of Texas’ Congressional delegation recently sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers urging the agency to provide additional funding for the Port of Corpus Christi’s Ship Channel Improvement Project (CIP).
The port received $32 million last year through the Project Partnership Agreement. The delegation members believe the additional discretionary funds provided to the corps in the spending bill should be directed to CIP.
Additional funding would allow the Galveston District to execute two contracts for the CIP.
CIP plans to expand the Port’s ship channels. This will allow larger and more supertankers carrying liquefied natural gas to navigate the channel safely.
“Funding the CIP is an opportunity to invest in a national transportation asset that would allow U.S. companies and the Port of Corpus Christi to significantly increase export capacity and help solidify the U.S. as a world energy leader,” the letter said.
The Port of Corpus Christi is the nation’s fourth-largest seaport and exports 60 percent of U.S. produced crude oil sold overseas. It generates $20 billion toward the state economy annually and supports 80,000 jobs, the letter said.
Industrial projects totaling $50 billion are under construction that will rely on the Corpus Christi Ship Channel to move products.