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Wise County approves resolution on data centers, residents urge water protections
Summary
The Court unanimously approved a resolution preparing the county to respond to potential data-center proposals; residents and the judge highlighted water-use differences between open- and closed-loop cooling and urged state-level guardrails.
The Wise County Commissioners' Court voted unanimously on March 9, 2026 to approve a resolution addressing prospective data-center development and related county concerns.
County Judge J.D. Clark said the County currently has no pending data-center projects but is preparing guidance and requesting "guardrails" to help when firms approach the county. Clark noted the County lacks land-use zoning authority to reject most private developments and said the County would request state and regional bodies to consider protections. During public comment and discussion, Clark described two cooling-design types: an open-loop facility that "takes in large amount of water everyday" and a closed-loop facility that uses an upfront fill and significantly lower daily consumption. Clark stated, "200,000 gallons of water is estimated to last 40 years," citing an example used in a nearby Jack County contract to explain lifecycle water needs of some closed-loop designs.
Residents, sheriff's office representatives and others raised concerns about local water availability and environmental monitoring. The Court said it would distribute the resolution to Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, State Senator Tan Parker, State Representative Andy Hopper, the Public Utility Commission (PUC), ERCOT, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), and regional partners and post the resolution on the county website. The Court also noted it would engage third-party review if an abatement negotiation arises.
