The Bastrop County Commissioners Court urged the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality during a March 9 resolution to grant air quality permits for the MPH Bastrop Peakers facility—a planned natural gas power plant at 125 Old Bastrop Road in Cedar Creek.

MPH Bastrop Peakers is a subsidiary of Maryland-based Hull Street Energy.

The details: The air quality permits must be issued before construction of six simple-cycle natural gas-fired turbines, capable of generating 1,170 megawatts of electricity in one hour at full output, can begin, according to TCEQ.

Commissioners, who called the project “a significant capital investment in Bastrop County,” signed the resolution in support of the air quality permits during a March 9 meeting.

What we know: The air quality permits are still listed among pending new source review permits, meaning they have not been approved or denied yet, according to TCEQ.

Two candidates are running for mayor in the upcoming May 2 general election.

The overview: Incumbent Ishmael Harris is seeking reelection and will face challenger Joseph Stanfield. The winner will begin serving the city of Bastrop in January 2027.

What you need to know: There are several key dates for voters, including: 

• April 2: Last day to register to vote in the May 2 general election
• April 20: Early voting begins
• April 20: Deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot
• April 28: Early voting ends
• May 2: Election day

From a retail project to a new gas station and more, here are five of the most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Shops at Park Place in Elgin: Hunington Properties will build two retail building shells totaling 20,059 square feet.

2. Star Mart in Leander: Austin-based Star Mart will build a 5,800-square-foot gas station in Leander.

3. Plaza at Hero Way shell building in Leander: A 10,250-square-foot retail project is planned along the ever-growing Hero Way corridor.

4. Willows at Leander Memory Care in Leander: Willows at Leander will add a 16-bed memory care building totaling approximately 10,000 square feet.

5. Silver Creek Expansion in Austin: ZMT Crystal, a limited liability company, will construct a roughly 4,556-square-foot office building.

The University of Texas at Austin has plans to build a residence hall dedicated for law students at East Dean Keeton Street and Medical Arts Street, according to a university news release.

About the project: The Texas Law residence hall will provide:

• Over 300 beds
• A library-style reading room
• A cafe
• A gym
• Two roof decks