A planned 500-acre data center near Texarkana is facing pushback from residents who worry the project could strain local water resources, cause disruptive noise, and proceed without enough community involvement.
What happened?
The proposed facility was announced earlier this year for the Texarkana area, and several weeks ago, residents gathered to organize resistance to it, according to Texas Scorecard. Their discussion centered on transparency, water use, and loud noise levels.
Conservative activist Dale Huls said the issue has quickly become a major local concern.
"Data centers … affect the quality of life," Huls said. "My well is over 700 feet deep. If they're sucking water [out of the area], I'll have to have somebody come out there and go deeper."
To hear the sound levels firsthand, resident Christal Prince said she and some friends went to a data center facility in Granbury. They recorded the decibel levels via a phone app, and they ranged from 90dB to 130dB. The National Hearing Conservation Association lists 90 decibels as the "level at which sustained exposure may result in hearing loss."
Prince also mentioned the concerning side effects when they were near the data center. "The strange thing that happened is, all 3 of us, within 10 minutes, started feeling nauseous and lightheaded," she stated.
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Dan Debenport, owner of the Dixie Diner, and his wife, Brandy Debenport, a former educator and administrator, said they are frustrated by what they view as insufficient openness from decision-makers.
Why does it matter?
Large data centers can require substantial amounts of electricity and water.
Noise at the levels residents described can interfere with sleep, concentration, and overall quality of life when facilities are built close to homes. People near Microsoft's new data center in Wisconsin are suing over persistent noise caused by the site's cooling systems and diesel generators.
Such facilities can strain local power systems, consume water for cooling, raise energy bills, and introduce new security and misuse concerns if development outpaces oversight.
Data centers are playing an increasingly important role in the modern economy as the use of AI tools continues to expand. They store and process massive amounts of information, helping power everything from cloud services to business operations. AI can also offer benefits such as improving logistics, increasing efficiency, and helping utilities manage cleaner energy systems.
However, given the amount of resources that data centers and AI consume, the question arises of whether communities are being asked to absorb environmental burdens without receiving sufficient direct benefits in return.
What can I do?
Residents are now calling for state action. Brandy put it directly: "I would call on Governor Abbott to call a special session. Put your money where your mouth is … Why wait till after this next election?"
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has not called that special session, but Texas Scorecard reported that he has urged preventing the construction of additional data centers in rural parts of Texas.
For many in Texarkana, the debate is as much about trust as it is about technology. As Dan Debenport stated, "We feel betrayed."
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