A wave of proposed AI data centers in Hood County, Texas, is uniting people who rarely find themselves on the same side of a political issue.
At a packed town hall in Granbury this week, residents, local officials, and candidates and members of both political parties voiced the same core concern: These massive industrial projects appear to be moving faster than the county's ability to manage their effects on water, electricity, noise, and long-term environmental health.
One resident told reporters at the meeting: "You see in the room today, there's people of different political affiliations and backgrounds. This is something that transcends politics."
Another told the press: "All Texans want to live a quiet life. It doesn't matter whether you're left or right, city or country."
Anxiety over AI-related data center development dominated a Granbury town hall on Wednesday night, where attendees warned that Hood County may not be prepared for the scale of what is being proposed, KERA News reported.
One of the biggest projects under scrutiny is the 2,100-acre Comanche Circle development, connected to the growing buildout of AI infrastructure. Residents said they are concerned about the massive project's heavy water consumption, constant noise, and power generation facilities located near homes in the rural county.
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The town hall followed several failed attempts earlier this year to temporarily pause large-scale development in Hood County while officials studied the possible impacts. County Judge-elect Mark Lowery explained that his opposition to the data centers in the area was a major factor in his primary victory, as his opponent had voted against proposed data center moratoriums. Lowery won his race by nearly 19%.
AI data centers are becoming a flashpoint in rural communities because they can require enormous amounts of electricity, cooling, land, and water. These facilities help power digital tools, but their footprint can be especially disruptive when they are clustered near homes, farms, and small towns.
Hood County is not the only place trying to slow the pace of development. According to KERA, Hill County commissioners this week moved to block new data center building in unincorporated areas in what was described as the first countywide moratorium, citing health and safety concerns. Commissioners in nearby Somervell County unanimously backed a resolution against new data center projects until the Texas Legislature puts stronger rules in place for water and energy use.
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