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Residents urge Hood County to slow data-center and gas-plant plans, call for studies and tighter rules
Summary
Dozens of residents told the Hood County Commissioners Court that proposed data centers and a planned NRG power plant threaten water, air quality, quiet rural character and property values; the court heard multiple requests to limit tax abatements and to pursue legal and regulatory safeguards before approving deals.
Dozens of Hood County residents used the court’s public-comment periods on Oct. 28 to press elected officials to slow or block proposed hyperscale data centers and an adjacent gas-fired power plant, warning of long-term harms to water supplies, air quality, quiet nights and property values.
“It's going to change the character,” said Jason Hodges, a Precinct 2 resident who told the court he opposed Proposition B and new road routes he said would “fillet” open space and worsen water and air quality. Jessica Hall, a citizen speaker, said she read media reports that a data-center company has filed suit against local officials and argued the public deserves transparency and the ability to review agreements before the court moves forward.
Neighbors from the Paluxy River Valley told similar stories. Brian Crawford, who identified his property as Rockin’ Oaks Ranch, said the Sidebar S ranch site is under contract to a developer for a multi-building data campus and that NRG has requested an air-quality permit for a proposed Tolar power center. Crawford and other speakers flagged risks to century-old live oak trees and to breeding habitat for the federally endangered golden-cheeked warbler near Dinosaur Valley State Park.
Speakers described heavy temporary impacts during construction — thousands of workers and hundreds of daily gravel trucks — and long-term worries over increased light, noise and industrial traffic. Bradley Morgan, whose family has deep roots in the Paluxy Valley, said local pecan orchards and livestock operations could suffer and urged commissioners to “save the Paluxy Valley.”
Environmental and technical concerns were recurring themes. Judy Ingram, a certified real-estate appraiser, said an air-quality permit could depress property values within a roughly 5‑mile radius. Technical speakers and residents urged the court to require cumulative air modeling, environmental impact studies and clear limits on water use and noise levels before any agreements or tax incentives are signed.
Several speakers also criticized past local agreements. Jessica Hall told the court that a prior 2021 agreement with a company called Luminate included a property-tax rebate schedule she described as excessive and lacking public safeguards; she urged stricter public-notice requirements and limits on agreement length.
County officials heard proposals for how to respond. Multiple residents asked the court to decline or condition tax abatements, to require public hearings and written presentations from prospective developers, and to form a task force of local officials, subject-matter experts and citizens to study impacts before approving incentives.
The court’s discussion of statutory tools later in the agenda referenced Local Government Code §231 (county development-district authority) as one potential mechanism to require standards for roads, drainage, wastewater and other infrastructure tied to new developments. Commissioners said they intend to pursue legal review and workshops to determine whether and how to adopt development regulations tailored to local conditions.
What happens next: The court tabled some related agenda items to gather legal input and public feedback (see separate article on outside counsel and Item 3). Residents asked for explicit commitments to transparency, environmental study and stricter conditions on abatements before the court moves forward with negotiations or agreements.
