Developer describes Comanche Circle: 721 acres, 1.1 GW data capacity and phased build; residents press for water and noise protections

Granbury — At the Nov. 6 Hood County workshop, Ryan Hughes, representing Sailfish, described plans for a collocated data‑center campus and a natural gas combined‑cycle power plant at a 721‑acre Comanche Circle site.

Hughes said the development concept includes about 1.1 gigawatts of data‑center capacity and a roughly 1.2 gigawatt power plant situated on about 80 acres near the high‑voltage transmission line; he said roughly 640 acres would be designated for data‑center uses. Hughes told the court the project site was selected to reduce impacts on nearby homes, and he said the first operational building could be ready by mid‑2027 if land closing and permitting move on schedule.

Technical follow‑ups at the meeting focused on phasing, construction traffic and water. NRG and Sailfish representatives said data‑center cooling would be a closed‑loop system and that water for the site would be supplied from existing surface‑water rights tied to the Brazos River through a Somerville County water district connection; the power plant would consume more water than the data center, the developers said.

Residents and local experts asked for more specific mitigations: enforceable setbacks, regular noise monitoring, lighting controls to protect dark skies, and assurances that county roads and volunteer fire services could handle heavy construction traffic and emergency risks. Architect Kirk Teske and several lifelong residents emphasized the scale of potential build‑out and asked the county to require measurable safeguards.

Hughes and other industry representatives said they were open to discussing enforceable mitigation tied to incentives, and county officials said they would seek outside counsel and technical expertise to draft possible requirements under Subchapter K. No regulatory outcome or formal agreement was made at the workshop; commissioners said they would continue the process with additional workshops and legal review.

Next steps: Developers remained available after the session for detailed technical meetings; the county indicated it will evaluate draft regulatory language and negotiate enforceable terms, with outside counsel expected to be considered at the next meeting.

Key details (from the developers): • Site size: 721 acres (Comanche Circle). • Data capacity (developer estimate): ~1.1 gigawatts; power plant: ~1.2 gigawatts on ~80 acres. • Closest‑in phases: developer targets first operational building by mid‑2027 (subject to land closing and permit approvals).