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George Murray raises questions about proposed Meta data center, tax abatements in Grant County
Summary
Presenter George Murray told the Grant County Quorum Court he is "not for or against" the proposed Clean Cloud Energy/Meta data center but raised concerns about tax-abatement conditions, local-content and labor citizenship requirements, the project's 92-acre footprint and a 15-year contract term that he said could pose long-term financial risk.
George Murray, a presenter at the Sept. 15 Grant County Quorum Court meeting, said he is “not for or against the project” but pressed the court to consider conditions tied to a proposed Clean Cloud Energy–Meta data‑center development.
Murray told the court he has met twice with Clean Cloud to gather technical information and that the project is in Phase 3, meaning detailed engineering remains to be completed. He said the company confirmed that Meta would construct a facility covering about 92 acres and that Meta’s agreement would be for 15 years, a term Murray described as a potential financial risk to county taxpayers if the company were to terminate the contract after that period.
Murray raised two specific policy questions for county officials to consider if tax abatements are offered: whether any abatement would include requirements for Grant County local content and whether there would be mandatory U.S. citizenship requirements for labor. He urged the court to weigh those conditions when negotiating incentives.
He also cited an International Energy Agency projection stating U.S. data‑center electricity use may rise about 130% between 2024 and 2030, and suggested the county pursue complementary economic development—medical services, expanded retail, educational providers and discretionary/entertainment businesses—to broaden local benefits from the project.
The Quorum Court did not take formal action on the data center at the meeting. Judge Randy Pruitt read the agenda item and asked for discussion; no vote or direction to staff on permitting or incentives is recorded in the transcript.
