Paluxy Valley residents claim win as plug pulled on power plant permit for data center
Residents who are fighting against large-scale industrial development encroaching on the iconic Paluxy Valley and Dinosaur Valley State Park won a major victory after NRG Energy withdrew an application to build a gas power plant to fuel a proposed data center complex.
Protect the Paluxy Valley Inc., the nonprofit formed to fight against the developments, announced June 23 that NRG withdrew its air permit application to build the proposed natural gas-fired, 1,200-megawatt Tolar Power Center that would have provided electricity for the proposed 2,100-acre Comanche Circle data center complex on the Hood and Somervell County border.
“This win belongs to every family who stood up to protect the air our children breathe and the water that sustains our beautiful valley,” Protect the Paluxy Valley Inc. representative Joanne Carcamo wrote in a news release. “We proved that a dedicated community, united by love for its land and its neighbors, can overcome even the biggest corporate giants. Together, we didn’t just save our environment — we secured a safer, healthier future for the Paluxy River Valley.”
Protect the Paluxy cautioned that the Comanche Circle data center is still on the table.
When asked how the air permit withdrawal will impact Comanche Circle, Ryan Hughes, principal partner with Sailfish Investors, which is developing the data center complex said in a text message, “stay tuned.”
A spokesperson for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the agency that approves air permit applications, did not immediately respond to emailed questions asking if the company provided reasons for withdrawing its permit application.
According to information from the TCEQ, NRG withdrew the application on June 18.
According to the news release, there were over 11,000 comments submitted to the TCEQ in opposition to the air permit for the power plant. Residents also packed commissioners court meetings to speak against Comanche Circle and the NRG power plant.
This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 6:00 PM.