The Brownsville Navigation District Commission has approved a series of agreements and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX). Port Director and CEO William Dietrich outlined the framework at a recent board meeting. The package includes pipeline easements, real estate leases, dirt sales, route use fees, and groundwork for a possible public-private partnership to build a dedicated dock facility.
Under the approved terms, SpaceX will hold rights-of-way for two 16-inch underground natural gas pipelines and fiber-optic lines that serve its Starbase facilities outside port boundaries. The first authorization covers a 30-foot-wide easement of nearly 30,000 linear feet, buried at least four feet deep, plus a temporary workspace of roughly 49 acres. Port leadership projected that a monthly throughput fee on gas used for SpaceX's own consumption would bring in about $2.5 million a year over the life of the easements. Commissioners said SpaceX will cover all installation, pipeline purchase and construction costs. SpaceX will also keep a $500,000 letter of credit and carry Level 5 insurance, the port's highest coverage tier.
The board also approved a Route Use Agreement, retroactive to Sept. 4, 2026. SpaceX pays $19 per vehicle, made up of a $15 route fee and a $4 port entry fee, to send commercial trucks through port property instead of public roads such as State Highway 48 and Boca Chica Boulevard. Dietrich said more than 30,000 SpaceX trucks had already used the port route. Port officials said utility easements and land deals are routine for the port, but described the SpaceX financial terms as a strong outcome for the port and local taxpayers.