A planned ammonia production facility in Superior has not received local approval, despite Vice President JD Vance’s announcement that TalusAg would build two manufacturing facilities in Nebraska.
TalusAg, an Austin, Texas-based startup, is developing the projects as part of an 11-state effort receiving almost $100 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The company has said it will deploy its systems over the next two years.
Superior City Administrator Andrew Brittenham said the city has not received the plans and documents needed to begin the permitting process. City officials, TalusAg representatives and local emergency crews held an initial discussion about the project in July, he said.
“We're still waiting on plans and documents before we can even start the permitting process.” — Andrew Brittenham, Superior city administrator
Brittenham said the city expects residents to have a substantial role in reviewing the proposed industrial facility. Local officials will need to consider the project before deciding whether to approve it and how it would fit within the community’s planning and emergency-response requirements.
“We do welcome any investment by the federal government in rural America,” Brittenham said. He added that Superior officials were still working through the early stages of the development after learning about the project sooner than they had anticipated.
Two Nebraska projects announced
Vance announced at a rally in North Platte that TalusAg would open two manufacturing facilities in Nebraska. The company has identified Superior as the site for one ammonia production plant. The location of the second facility has not been announced.
At the rally, Vance described the Nebraska projects as certain to proceed. TalusAg later said it would deploy its systems during the next two years, while Superior continued to await the materials needed for local review.
Brittenham said the city’s process is intended to include community input before local officials make a decision. He said projects at a similar stage have not always moved forward.
- Project: A planned TalusAg ammonia production facility in Superior.
- Funding: TalusAg’s broader 11-state effort is receiving almost $100 million from the USDA.
- Status: Superior is waiting for plans and documents before beginning its permitting process.
The Nebraska project comes as TalusAg seeks to establish a network of facilities using its ammonia production systems. Local approval in Superior remains a required step before construction can begin there.
