Briefing 01/23/2025
Protest of the Texas Coalition Against Cryptomining
A Snapshot of Growing Data Center Opposition in Texas: As Texas becomes a national hotspot for data center development, local concerns and political scrutiny are mounting. What began as scattered neighborhood protests has grown into a broader, more visible conversation about the long-term costs of large-scale data centers. The following is a brief overview of some of the most active grassroots groups and lawmakers driving resistance or scrutiny toward data center projects in Texas.
Key Grassroots Opposition Groups
Sierra Club Lone Star
Texas Coalition Against Cryptomining
Residents of Fort Worth (informal group)
Residents of Granbury (informal group)
Residents of Hood County (informal group)
Citizens Concerned About Wolf Hollow
Key Political Voices
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R)
State Senator Donna Campbell (R)
State Senator Nathan Johnson (D)
State Senator José Menéndez (D)
State Senator Robert Nichols (R)
State Senator Phil King (R)
State Senator Charles Schwertner (R)
Texas Data Center Projects Facing Opposition
Fort Worth
A proposed 120-acre data center in the Rock Creek Ranch development has stirred significant opposition since May 2024. Residents are worried about building heights of up to 105 feet, as well as the loss of land designated for parks and retail. The project was approved over the objections of the local planning staff, prompting neighborhood groups to explore legal and regulatory challenges that could slow or halt construction.
Granbury
In Granbury, a Marathon Digital bitcoin mining facility has become a flashpoint for community tension. Residents have reported constant noise from the site’s industrial cooling systems, citing health effects such as migraines, sleep disruption, and heart palpitations. The complaints have prompted public protests and legal action, positioning the town as a focal point in the growing pushback against data centers.
Hood County
Data center opposition has extended to Hood County over a proposed expansion of the Wolf Hollow power plant, which supplies energy to the bitcoin mining operation in nearby Granbury. The plan to add eight new gas-fired units has drawn sharp criticism from residents, who cite concerns about noise, air pollution, and strain on the local power grid. Petition drives and packed public forums anticipated growing unease about the project’s potential impact on quality of life. In October 2024, Citizens Concerned About Wolf Hollow sued Marathon Digital Holdings teaming up with Earth Justice to stop the project.
Corsicana
In 2023, Riot Platforms broke ground on a massive bitcoin mining site in Corsicana, touted to be among the largest bitcoin mines of the world. The development sparked opposition spearheaded by Jackie Sawicky of the Texas Coalition Against Cryptomining. Her group raised alarms about environmental damage and everyday disruptions, bringing unprecedented public scrutiny to data center expansions in the region. The Texas Coalition Against Cryptomining’s efforts to block the Riot Platforms project was unsuccessful, and the group dissolved in November, 2024.
Protest of Hood County residents
Energy Demands and Environmental Concerns
Texas’s 342 data centers consume roughly 7.6 gigawatts—8.8% of the summer grid load. Projections suggest peak energy demand could skyrocket from 86 GW to 148 GW by 2030, with data centers and cryptocurrency mining accounting for nearly half of this increase.
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has criticized the discrepancy between energy demands and job creation, while ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas warns that the grid may not keep pace with the burgeoning AI data center sector. Additionally, Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter has stressed potential risks to local ecosystems, challenging the narrative that data centers offer exclusively positive economic benefits.
Legislative Scrutiny and Future Oversight
Responding to constituent pressure, lawmakers such as State Senators Donna Campbell (R) and Nathan Johnson (D) are considering policies to:
Restrict Residential Proximity: Prevent large data center developments in or near residential zones.
Revisit Cost Allocation: Shift more grid-upgrade expenses onto data center operators rather than taxpayers.
Enhance Regulatory Requirements: Mandate impact studies on environmental and noise concerns prior to construction.
Some hyperscalers have pledged to build dedicated energy infrastructure to avoid burdening local grids, but these undertakings could introduce new permitting and environmental challenges that spur further community backlash.
