Data center battles erupt across Hood & Somervell counties. Here’s what to know
Rural North Texas residents are pushing back against a wave of proposed data centers, power plants and crypto-mining operations south of Fort Worth. The fights span Hood and Somervell counties, where neighbors say industrial development threatens water, wildlife, tourism and quality of life.
Here are key takeaways:
• Granbury annexation dispute: Hood County Commissioner Nannette Samuelson has accused Granbury City Manager Chris Coffman and other officials of misleading the public about plans for a power plant and data center on more than 2,000 acres of the former Knox Ranch, Elizabeth Campbell reported. Residents filed an April 6 lawsuit seeking to reverse the January annexation.
• Project Patriot power plant: Dallas-based Bilateral Energy LLC received a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality permit in July 2025 for eight simple-cycle power turbines and 87 linear generators at 1225 Meadow Wood Road, Elizabeth Campbell reported. The City Council voted April 7 to rezone the land for industrial use.
• Moratorium rejected: Hood County commissioners voted 3-2 against a six-month moratorium to study impacts of data centers on water, traffic and health. After the vote, audience members chanted “resign, resign.”
• Comanche Circle near Glen Rose: Florida-based Sailfish Investors is proposing a roughly 2,000-acre data center campus at 8709 Paluxy Highway near Tolar, Glen Rose and Dinosaur Valley State Park. Residents formed Protect the Paluxy Valley Inc. to oppose it, according to the Star-Telegram.
• Tourism concerns: Officials in Glen Rose, Tolar and Somervell County worry the project will harm tourism tied to Dinosaur Valley State Park, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and the Paluxy River. Hyperscale data centers can use 150 billion to 300 billion gallons of water annually.
• Mitchell Bend vote fails: Rural residents lost a Nov. 4 election to incorporate as a city near Granbury, with 86 against and 52 in favor, according to the Star-Telegram. They had sought to regulate noise and pollution from MARA Holdings’ Bitcoin-mining operation.
• Fight continues: Organizers Cheryl Shadden and Danny Lakey vowed to keep fighting and help Tolar-area residents oppose Comanche Circle, the Star-Telegram reported. Lakey said Hood County offers cheap land and few regulations that attract these developments.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.