Project Lonestar coming to Texarkana

Life comes at you fast and so does changes. Businesses are a testament to just how fast things can change.

In June I wrote a piece about Smackover Lithium receiving royalty rates which marked the first time that the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission approved a royalty rate for lithium and brine extraction.

Then I wrote another piece at the beginning of this month on EnergyX buying out Daytona Lithium from Pantera for $40 million dollars.

That acquisition gave EnergyX control of nearly 50,000 acres in the Smackover Formation.

The Smackover Formation is one of the most valuable lithium basins in North America.

Now the race to secure America’s lithium supply took a major step forward in early Septmeber as EnergyX announced the official site for its Project Lonestar™ Lithium Demonstration Plant at TexAmericas Center in Texarkana, Texas.

EnergyX is investing approximately $20 million into their 22,000 square foot lithium demonstration plant and expects to create over 40 new highly skilled jobs, delivering immediate economic benefits to the region.

TexAmericas Center was selected because it offers the critical advantages needed to accelerate growth. TexAmericas Center’s position as a multimodal transportation hub, access to a skilled regional labor market, and competitive operating costs provide strong value for advanced manufacturing and clean-energy operations.

TexAmericas Center, which owns and operates the nation’s fifth ranked industrial park, is one of the largest mixed-use industrial parks in the United States, with 12,000 acres and 3.5 million square feet of commercial and industrial property in the Texarkana region.

The organization’s mission is to create 12,000 jobs by redeveloping former Department of Defense property into functional space for commercial and industrial businesses.

EnergyX, headquartered in Austin, has rapidly scaled since its founding in 2018.

With its LiTAS direct lithium extraction technologies and SoLiS™ solid- state batteries, EnergyX is building the advanced tools America needs to lead in the clean energy economy.

“This project represents a new chapter for the Texarkana region,” said Teague Egan, Founder & CEO of EnergyX. “We are turning a former defense property and military base into a hub for America’s clean energy future.”

The EnergyX expansion will bring to the Texarkana region, competitive wages above industry standards, employee ownership through equity participation and inclusive hiring for veterans, women, and minority-owned businesses EnergyX’s investment advances TexAmericas Center’s transition toward an eco-industrial campus. By repurposing former defense infrastructure and leveraging campus-wide utilities, the project optimizes new construction, curbs waste and supports cleaner operations.

EnergyX also strengthens a growing roster of tenants driving TAC’s environmental initiatives through low-impact practices, resource stewardship, and responsible land use, setting a higher bar for industrial development in Texarkana.

“EnergyX’s vision aligns with our effort to transform former defense assets into future-focused industry as we build toward an eco-industrial park at TexAmericas Center,” said Scott Norton, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of TexAmericas Center.

“Together, we’re converting historic assets into a high-performing campus that supports energy security, quality jobs, and longterm growth.”

Project Lonestar™ Lithium is more than a plant, it is a blueprint for how the U.S. can secure critical minerals, accelerate the clean energy transition, and create sustainable prosperity for local communities.