Shannon Watts worries that AI data centers are a threat to public health. Jacob Herbold has concerns about noise and pollution. And Carolyn Reeves doesn't like how much water and electricity could be drained by having a data center nearby. As Texas aggressively recruits AI data centers in a broader push to attract tech investment, critics warn that regulation has not kept pace with growth — and Texans will suffer the consequences. The Texas Commission on Environmental Qualit

13 JAN 2026 Harper Area Citizens Get Second BIG Legal Win Against Battery Facility “It’s a great day in Gillespie County and you can thank Esther Schneider for another legal victory against Peregrine Energy!”  Bruce Neitzke, Harper Resident Fredericksburg, TX  – Peregrine Energy signed an Agreed Temporary Injunction with the four Harper plaintiffs and intervenor Gillespie County, halting all activities on the Harper BESS site.  This is the second major legal victory for the p

A recent Guardian article explains, “ data centers increase PFAS pollution directly and indirectly. The chemicals are needed in the centers’ operations – such as its cooling equipment – which almost certainly leads to some on-site pollution. Meanwhile, Pfas used in the equipment housed in the centers must be disposed of, which is difficult because the chemicals cannot be fully destroyed. Meanwhile, a large quantity of Pfas are used to produce the semiconductors housed in da

By Lillian Kosh Published: Jan. 14, 2026 at 10:49 PM CST BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - As data centers continue to spark pushback across the Brazos Valley, state and local leaders are shifting the conversation from total bans to proactive regulations before companies propose new facilities. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller rolled out a proposal this week aimed at protecting farmland and water while recognizing what he said is an inevitable expansion of data centers across th

By: Joi Fultz Posted 10:19 PM, Jan 15, 2026 and last updated 6:13 AM, Jan 16, 2026 HANOVER COUNTY, Va. — The Hanover County Planning Commission voted to deny a motion to rezone about 400 acres for a data center complex. The plan would reclassify the land, which is near Henrico's Wyndham community , from agricultural to light industrial for the 10-building project developed by HHHunt. With the Planning Commission voting not to recommend the plan, the final decision now turns o

By Paige Feild | January 15, 2026 Gillespie County has temporarily blocked the construction of a battery energy storage system. The agreed temporary injunction is similar to one filed in Van Zandt County. The facility was to be located less than 2,000 feet from a school and less than 100 feet from the Pedernales River, raising safety and environmental concerns about fire hazards and fire extinguishing methods. Judge Albert Patillo of the 216th District Court ordered Rogers

Residents of Greenleaf and other nearby communities on Jan. 12 gathered to learn what they can do to oppose efforts to develop an AI data center in the southern Brown County village. By USA Today Network via Reuters Connect January 13, 2026 The real estate company looking to bring a data center to Greenleaf has ended its pursuit of property after residents and officials made clear they opposed the idea. Greenleaf last week became the latest Wisconsin community swept up in the

Kate Devine Jan 14, 2026 SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan. (KAKE) — Sedgwick County commissioners on Wednesday approved a resolution placing a 90-day pause on new data center applications as county leaders study how those facilities should be regulated. The resolution temporarily halts zoning and building permit applications for data centers, which are defined as facilities that house networked computer servers for data processing and storage. Commissioners said the pause will give staff

For our new report, More Perfect Union traveled to Hillsboro, Oregon and Abilene, Texas -- small towns that have rolled out the welcome mat to Big Tech data centers. We spoke with local residents as well as the people building the data centers to get an idea of who is benefiting from these deals. “We’re all paying our taxes for the schools. The data centers are not.” -Aaron Nichols, farmer from Hillsboro “I think that the data centers and the jobs that they have out there n

BY Lily Celeste Texas PUBLISHED 9:00 AM CT Dec. 04, 2025 WILSON COUNTY, Texas — A crowd packed the room during the Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District’s Nov. 21 meeting in Pleasanton. Most were Wilson County residents who are pushing for the district’s board to deny a permit that would allow the area’s water to be pumped, then taken to neighboring Guadalupe County. The permit request from Springs Hill Utility District has drawn harsh criticism from people in Wil

Across the United States, especially here in Texas, farmers and rural communities have been feeling the pressure as large solar companies buy up or lease productive farmland. These projects remove land from agricultural use, drive up land prices, and create long term impacts on our food and water resources. In August 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new policy that directly addresses this growing concern. The USDA will no longer use taxpaye

The permit hearings for the Springs Hill new well and transportation of water out of Wilson County was postponed. The Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District allowed public comment at this November 21st meeting that will be included in the actual permit request hearing. Date TBD. Video provided by the Wilson County News, video by Rachel Draper.

BY Lily Celeste Texas PUBLISHED 9:00 AM CT Nov. 28, 2025 TEXAS — In a corner of Wilson County about an hour southeast of San Antonio, a data center is quietly moving in. Perrin Hatcher lives near the future site, just outside of Stockdale. Hatcher says a project such as a data center could change the quiet country life they’re used to and says he and his neighbors all share one major concern: water usage. “It sounds like they’re going to dry everything up pretty quick,” Hatch

Stockdale resident LoriDawn Messuri asks the Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District to “stand with the community” during the district’s Nov. 21 meeting. The board was scheduled to take action on an out-of-district use and transport of water application, which was postponed due to a “mitigation proposal.” A new date has not been set. RACHEL DRAPER/Wilson County News By Rachel Draper Wilson County News “If we don’t vehemently protect what we can, we will wake up with

Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Emmanuel Dundand / AFP via Getty Images "The historical precedent here is Flint, Michigan." By Joe Wilkins Published Nov 29, 2025 8:15 AM EST For the hundreds of communities who’ve been saddled with data centers in recent years, the bulky fixtures are sources of unbearable noise , soaring energy prices , and plenty of electrical fires . Add another grim possibility to that list: debilitating rare cancers. Reporting on th

By: Myra Sanchez Posted 2:43 PM, Oct 09, 2025 and last updated 5:53 PM, Oct 09, 2025 Myra Sanchez graduated from TAMUCC in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, with an emphasis on Media Production. Myra and the KRIS 6 Digital Team recently won an Edward Murrow Award in May 2024. BEEVILLE, Tx — The City of Beeville issued a Proclamation and Declaration of Local State of Disaster on Thursday afternoon in response to ongoing drought conditions and critically low water

By: Rachel Denny Clow , Suzanne Stevens Posted 5:40 PM, Nov 05, 2025 and last updated 7:42 AM, Nov 06, 2025 CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — A major credit rating company is warning that Corpus Christi's water crisis could cost the city money. Fitch Ratings changed its outlook on the city's water and utility bonds from "stable" to "negative" last week. Think of it like a warning light on your car dashboard — the city's credit score is still good, but there are problems ahead if things

An East Texas farm sued the local groundwater conservation district that has authority over the aquifer that would be pumped. As part of a settlement, the district has voided its original permits. by Jess Huff Oct. 21, 2025, 4:41 p.m. Central Republish This Story LUFKIN — An East Texas groundwater conservation district is negotiating a legal path that would pause a plan to pump billions of gallons of water out of the region. The Neches & Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservati

Seguin, TX, USA / Seguin Today Cindy Aguirre Oct 15, 2025 | 12:02 AM (Guadalupe County) — A proposal to significantly increase groundwater usage for a planned golf course project in the Luling-Seguin area has been rejected by the Guadalupe County Groundwater Conservation District (GCGCD). During a contested case hearing held last Thursday, the GCGCD Board of Directors unanimously denied Ranchy McRanchface, LLC’s request to amend its existing permit to draw an additional 112.5