Hood County commissioners reject data center moratorium again in 3-2 vote; residents call for resignations
Tuesday afternoon, commissioners in Hood County again voted against a moratorium on a large-scale data center development, 3-2.
They rejected hitting pause on any new industrial data center projects in the county, where more than five have been proposed, despite mounting public pressure. A vote earlier this month also failed.
It's in response to approved plans for a 2,100-acre data center in the county. Residents have expressed concern about noise, water and power use associated with the project.
Now, several Hood County residents are calling for the resignation of county commissioners.
"It is a slap in the face," said resident Jordan Schmidt. "It is absolutely disgusting, and they had no care, no respect for us."
Schmidt was one of dozens who spoke out on Tuesday, asking county commissioners for more time to study the data centers and their potential health, environmental and infrastructure impacts.
"This is permanent," Schmidt said. "Once these things go into the ground, something that is several thousand acres, it can't be easily reversed. So these things, the toxic rare earth mineral batteries, these things are going to be a huge drain on our power grid, they are going to make our water unusable."
"By bringing these data centers in, it's going to change the appearance of Hood County," said Mark Lowery, a candidate for county judge.
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt recently said local officials do not have the legal power to enact a broad ban on these types of developments. Some commissioners echoed that argument Tuesday, saying a moratorium is not the way.
Still, for many residents, the vote is far from the end. Many say they'll keep fighting this and are asking Gov. Greg Abbott to take this up during a special session.
"We'll be making noise and taking up space," said Schmidt.
In a statement to CBS News Texas, the developer, Sailfish Investors, said it appreciates the Hood County Commissioners' Court's decision to once again reject the proposed data center moratorium.
"We believe this outcome reflects a commitment to the rule of law, regulatory certainty, and the long-term economic interests of Hood County and its residents, Sailfish Investors' statement reads. "Sailfish remains excited about the potential of Comanche Circle, a transformational project designed to bring substantial private investment, significant tax base growth, and long-term economic benefits to the region. Alongside our partners and investors, we look forward to developing Comanche Circle responsibly and in close coordination with county leadership, local stakeholders, and the broader community ... We remain confident that Comanche Circle can deliver jobs, infrastructure investment, and lasting value for Hood County."
