Data centers in Texas: what the neighbors say
Where opposition forms, what triggers it, what would defuse it, and how the talk about water compares with the water record.
read this first
- One honest caveat up front. This is what people say in public, sorted carefully. It is directional, not a poll. Most forum posts do not name a county, so the place comparison leans on where the forum is based and on the handful of sites people name. The water record covers surveyed facilities only; a site that has been announced but not yet surveyed shows up as silence, not as zero.
How we listened
We read 36,411 public posts, comments and written testimony about building data centers in Texas, written between 2023-01 to 2026-09: 15,896 from Texas city and state forums, 17,472 from national technology and AI forums, 1,497 from a forum for people who work in data centers, 1,099 from organized opposition groups, and 447 written comments to a Texas House committee. We sorted each one by what bothered or pleased the writer, where they stood, whether they said they had changed their mind, and what they did about it. Where someone quoted a number about water, we wrote the number down exactly as they said it and later compared it with the state's own water survey.
The water side comes from the Texas Water Development Board: the yearly water use of every county since 2000, and the monthly water intake that each surveyed industrial facility reports, which lets us pick out the data centers by name.
of 15,896 Texas forum posts are opposed
about 6 in 10
are open to it with conditions
roughly 1 in 24
describe taking action, not just posting
roughly 1 in 83
raise water as the main or second concern
roughly 1 in 5
Where opposition is loudest, and whether the water record agrees
The state water survey records 1.05 billion gallons drawn by 24 surveyed data-center facilities in 2024, which is about 3,217 acre-feet for the year. Set against everything else Texas uses, that is about 3.0 gallons of every 1,000 gallons that manufacturing draws (0.30 percent) and about 6.2 gallons of every 10,000 that towns and cities use (0.062 percent). The 2025 survey lists 88 facilities drawing 1.55 billion gallons, but most of that rise is more facilities being surveyed, not the same sites using more. These are self-reported figures from surveyed facilities. Sites that have been announced but are not yet in the survey, such as the Abilene campus, do not appear in the record at all.
Across the 22 counties with at least 30 posts, the rank link between how often people raise water and how much water data centers actually draw there is moderate (rank correlation -0.45, verdict: negative). Water worry without a water record: Nueces, Grimes, Bell, Hays, Grayson, Potter. Of these, Bell (temple) are announced sites the survey has not caught up with; the record is silent, not zero. Water record without much worry: Milam, Ellis, where surveyed facilities draw water but local posts rarely raise it.
data table · where opposition is loudest, and whether the water record agrees
| county | posts | posts about water | share about water | share opposed | share taking action | recorded gal/yr | record year | surveyed facilities | announced sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BASTROP | 109 | 18 | 16.5% | 51.4% | 7.3% | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| BELL | 61 | 38 | 62.3% | 83.6% | 73.8% | 0 | 2025 | 0 | meta:temple |
| BEXAR | 1235 | 390 | 31.6% | 48.2% | 1.0% | 4,687,135 | 2025 | 8 | microsoft:san_antonio |
| CALDWELL | 68 | 17 | 25.0% | 50.0% | 4.4% | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| COLLIN | 73 | 10 | 13.7% | 52.1% | 13.7% | 218,418,446 | 2025 | 9 | |
| DALLAS | 988 | 146 | 14.8% | 42.1% | 1.3% | 287,578,497 | 2025 | 22 | |
| EL PASO | 39 | 18 | 46.2% | 48.7% | 2.6% | 111,000 | 2025 | 1 | meta:el_paso |
| ELLIS | 43 | 12 | 27.9% | 58.1% | 37.2% | 263,586,800 | 2025 | 1 | google:red_oak;compass:red_oak |
| GRAYSON | 72 | 30 | 41.7% | 83.3% | 93.1% | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| GRIMES | 42 | 29 | 69.0% | 92.9% | 88.1% | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| GUADALUPE | 43 | 14 | 32.6% | 55.8% | 14.0% | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| HARRIS | 72 | 14 | 19.4% | 50.0% | 16.7% | 17,996,593 | 2025 | 12 | |
| HAYS | 64 | 29 | 45.3% | 59.4% | 14.1% | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| HOOD | 119 | 12 | 10.1% | 67.2% | 9.2% | 41,400 | 2025 | 1 | |
| MCLENNAN | 57 | 21 | 36.8% | 49.1% | 21.1% | 251,500 | 2025 | 1 | |
| MEDINA | 49 | 10 | 20.4% | 63.3% | 8.2% | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| NUECES | 101 | 94 | 93.1% | 75.2% | 1.0% | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| POTTER | 37 | 14 | 37.8% | 45.9% | 8.1% | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| TARRANT | 1357 | 345 | 25.4% | 58.9% | 6.0% | 68,374,193 | 2025 | 3 | |
| TAYLOR | 2024 | 337 | 16.7% | 43.8% | 0.7% | 0 | 2025 | 0 | stargate:abilene |
| TRAVIS | 1898 | 478 | 25.2% | 53.0% | 2.1% | 71,423,894 | 2025 | 8 | |
| WILLIAMSON | 533 | 118 | 22.1% | 63.2% | 5.3% | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| ANDERSON | 3 | 2 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| ANDREWS | 1 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| ANGELINA | 16 | 7 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| ARCHER | 1 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| AUSTIN | 1 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| BANDERA | 3 | 2 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| BLANCO | 1 | 1 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| BOSQUE | 2 | 1 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| BOWIE | 5 | 2 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| BRAZORIA | 7 | 3 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| BRAZOS | 6 | 2 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 49,000 | 2025 | 1 | |
| BROWN | 3 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| BURLESON | 2 | 1 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| BURNET | 3 | 2 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| CALLAHAN | 1 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| CAMERON | 10 | 2 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| CARSON | 16 | 7 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | fermi:amarillo |
| CASS | 4 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| CHEROKEE | 3 | 2 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| CHILDRESS | 3 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 240,000 | 2025 | 1 | |
| CLAY | 2 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| COMAL | 3 | 3 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| DELTA | 1 | 1 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| DENTON | 27 | 1 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 101,864,014 | 2025 | 6 | |
| ECTOR | 5 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| EDWARDS | 1 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| ERATH | 5 | 2 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| FANNIN | 20 | 11 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| FAYETTE | 16 | 14 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 1 | |
| FOARD | 2 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| FORT BEND | 5 | 2 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| GALVESTON | 4 | 1 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 76,000 | 2025 | 1 | |
| GARZA | 4 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| GILLESPIE | 1 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| GONZALES | 1 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| GREGG | 3 | 2 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| HALE | 1 | 0 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 | |
| HALL | 7 | 3 | insufficient | insufficient | insufficient | 0 | 2025 | 0 |
73 more rows in the data file.
The ten counties people talk about most
| county | posts | share about water | share opposed | share taking action | recorded gallons, 2025 | surveyed facilities | announced sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUECES | 101 | 93.1% | 75.2% | 1.0% | 0 | 0 | |
| GRIMES | 42 | 69.0% | 92.9% | 88.1% | 0 | 0 | |
| BELL | 61 | 62.3% | 83.6% | 73.8% | 0 | 0 | meta:temple |
| EL PASO | 39 | 46.2% | 48.7% | 2.6% | 111,000 | 1 | meta:el_paso |
| HAYS | 64 | 45.3% | 59.4% | 14.1% | 0 | 0 | |
| GRAYSON | 72 | 41.7% | 83.3% | 93.1% | 0 | 0 | |
| POTTER | 37 | 37.8% | 45.9% | 8.1% | 0 | 0 | |
| MCLENNAN | 57 | 36.8% | 49.1% | 21.1% | 251,500 | 1 | |
| GUADALUPE | 43 | 32.6% | 55.8% | 14.0% | 0 | 0 | |
| BEXAR | 1235 | 31.6% | 48.2% | 1.0% | 4,687,135 | 8 | microsoft:san_antonio |
What sets people off
In Texas forums the three concerns that most often start a complaint are local politics (roughly 1 in 6 of posts), water use (roughly 1 in 6 of posts), strain on the grid (roughly 1 in 6 of posts).
data table · what sets people off
| what set them off | source | posts | all posts from source | share | mean intensity (1 to 10) | share opposed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| water_use | local | 2574 | 15,896 | 16.2% | 5.48 | 59.6% |
| grid_strain | local | 2513 | 15,896 | 15.8% | 5.05 | 47.2% |
| electricity_bills | local | 777 | 15,896 | 4.9% | 5.91 | 74.1% |
| noise | local | 524 | 15,896 | 3.3% | 5.20 | 56.1% |
| air_diesel | local | 242 | 15,896 | 1.5% | 5.77 | 65.7% |
| tax_abatement | local | 862 | 15,896 | 5.4% | 5.73 | 65.3% |
| jobs_claim | local | 856 | 15,896 | 5.4% | 4.82 | 36.4% |
| land_use_rural | local | 774 | 15,896 | 4.9% | 5.26 | 65.9% |
| secrecy_nda | local | 156 | 15,896 | 1.0% | 5.69 | 77.6% |
| ai_general_backlash | local | 886 | 15,896 | 5.6% | 5.87 | 69.0% |
| crypto_mining_association | local | 739 | 15,896 | 4.7% | 5.77 | 70.5% |
| property_values | local | 248 | 15,896 | 1.6% | 5.56 | 62.9% |
| local_politics | local | 2751 | 15,896 | 17.3% | 5.67 | 69.9% |
| heat_climate | local | 194 | 15,896 | 1.2% | 5.43 | 62.9% |
| traffic_construction | local | 199 | 15,896 | 1.2% | 4.61 | 44.7% |
| water_use | national | 7144 | 17,472 | 40.9% | 5.39 | 49.2% |
| grid_strain | national | 2943 | 17,472 | 16.8% | 5.14 | 46.5% |
| electricity_bills | national | 1168 | 17,472 | 6.7% | 6.40 | 76.2% |
| noise | national | 453 | 17,472 | 2.6% | 5.94 | 63.6% |
| air_diesel | national | 497 | 17,472 | 2.8% | 5.81 | 65.4% |
| tax_abatement | national | 609 | 17,472 | 3.5% | 5.73 | 60.1% |
| jobs_claim | national | 310 | 17,472 | 1.8% | 5.46 | 50.6% |
| land_use_rural | national | 448 | 17,472 | 2.6% | 5.73 | 67.4% |
| secrecy_nda | national | 112 | 17,472 | 0.6% | 6.39 | 76.8% |
| ai_general_backlash | national | 1879 | 17,472 | 10.8% | 6.32 | 71.5% |
| crypto_mining_association | national | 30 | 17,472 | 0.2% | 6.10 | 73.3% |
| property_values | national | 40 | 17,472 | 0.2% | 6.20 | 72.5% |
| local_politics | national | 711 | 17,472 | 4.1% | 5.58 | 62.5% |
| heat_climate | national | 618 | 17,472 | 3.5% | 5.30 | 46.9% |
| traffic_construction | national | 15 | 17,472 | 0.1% | 5.67 | 53.3% |
| water_use | industry | 368 | 1497 | 24.6% | 4.27 | 18.5% |
| grid_strain | industry | 191 | 1497 | 12.8% | 4.05 | 16.2% |
| electricity_bills | industry | 99 | 1497 | 6.6% | 5.43 | 49.5% |
| noise | industry | 73 | 1497 | 4.9% | 4.70 | 28.8% |
| air_diesel | industry | 23 | 1497 | 1.5% | 5 | 30.4% |
| tax_abatement | industry | 101 | 1497 | 6.8% | 4.70 | 15.8% |
| jobs_claim | industry | 119 | 1497 | 8.0% | 4.77 | 16.0% |
| land_use_rural | industry | 126 | 1497 | 8.4% | 4.87 | 37.3% |
| secrecy_nda | industry | 30 | 1497 | 2.0% | 5.90 | 63.3% |
| ai_general_backlash | industry | 71 | 1497 | 4.7% | 5.49 | 40.8% |
| crypto_mining_association | industry | 2 | 1497 | 0.1% | 5.50 | 50.0% |
| property_values | industry | 33 | 1497 | 2.2% | 5.36 | 42.4% |
| local_politics | industry | 63 | 1497 | 4.2% | 4.73 | 31.8% |
| heat_climate | industry | 23 | 1497 | 1.5% | 4.09 | 30.4% |
| traffic_construction | industry | 18 | 1497 | 1.2% | 4.44 | 27.8% |
| water_use | activist | 192 | 1099 | 17.5% | 4.92 | 46.4% |
| grid_strain | activist | 52 | 1099 | 4.7% | 4.08 | 34.6% |
| electricity_bills | activist | 29 | 1099 | 2.6% | 5.10 | 48.3% |
| noise | activist | 50 | 1099 | 4.5% | 5.12 | 56.0% |
| air_diesel | activist | 27 | 1099 | 2.5% | 5.41 | 66.7% |
| tax_abatement | activist | 28 | 1099 | 2.5% | 5.18 | 64.3% |
| jobs_claim | activist | 13 | 1099 | 1.2% | 5.54 | 61.5% |
| land_use_rural | activist | 76 | 1099 | 6.9% | 5.66 | 71.0% |
| secrecy_nda | activist | 42 | 1099 | 3.8% | 5.64 | 76.2% |
| ai_general_backlash | activist | 145 | 1099 | 13.2% | 5.70 | 70.3% |
| crypto_mining_association | activist | 3 | 1099 | 0.3% | 5 | 66.7% |
| property_values | activist | 14 | 1099 | 1.3% | 5.86 | 64.3% |
| local_politics | activist | 140 | 1099 | 12.7% | 4.89 | 50.7% |
| heat_climate | activist | 33 | 1099 | 3.0% | 4.33 | 45.5% |
| traffic_construction | activist | 6 | 1099 | 0.5% | 6.17 | 83.3% |
| water_use | hearing | 174 | 447 | 38.9% | 7.57 | 86.2% |
| grid_strain | hearing | 57 | 447 | 12.8% | 7.02 | 70.2% |
| electricity_bills | hearing | 21 | 447 | 4.7% | 7.48 | 90.5% |
| noise | hearing | 14 | 447 | 3.1% | 8.36 | 100.0% |
| air_diesel | hearing | 1 | 447 | 0.2% | 8 | 100.0% |
| tax_abatement | hearing | 20 | 447 | 4.5% | 7.05 | 65.0% |
| jobs_claim | hearing | 11 | 447 | 2.5% | 6.91 | 54.5% |
| land_use_rural | hearing | 84 | 447 | 18.8% | 7.55 | 94.0% |
| secrecy_nda | hearing | 10 | 447 | 2.2% | 7.40 | 80.0% |
| ai_general_backlash | hearing | 16 | 447 | 3.6% | 7.56 | 100.0% |
| crypto_mining_association | hearing | 0 | 447 | 0.0% | ||
| property_values | hearing | 6 | 447 | 1.3% | 7.67 | 100.0% |
| local_politics | hearing | 10 | 447 | 2.2% | 6.60 | 40.0% |
| heat_climate | hearing | 1 | 447 | 0.2% | 7 | 100.0% |
| traffic_construction | hearing | 1 | 447 | 0.2% | 7 | 100.0% |
“Recall the entire Mayor and City Council. Their latest vote to approve 430 acres of land for a Data Center and ignoring opposition to it over concerns over environmental concerns”
“Many interviews on the web state that they contaminated the water supply, and the price of electricity, taxes, and housing went up astronomically.”
The ladder from curious to taking action
Of everyone with a clear position, roughly 1 in 41 describe taking action against a data center, about 5 in 10 are concerned or opposed without acting, and roughly 1 in 8 accept or support one.
data table · the ladder from curious to taking action
| from | to | people | mean intensity | main trigger | main action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| unaware | concerned | 57 | 5.83 | water_use | posting_only |
| concerned | mobilized_opposed | 52 | 7.31 | water_use | contacted_official |
| unaware | opposed | 50 | 7.36 | water_use | posting_only |
| unaware | curious | 39 | 3.13 | none | posting_only |
| curious | concerned | 34 | 5.50 | water_use | posting_only |
| unaware | mobilized_opposed | 31 | 7.61 | secrecy_nda | attended_hearing |
| opposed | mobilized_opposed | 27 | 7.41 | local_politics | attended_hearing |
| curious | informed_neutral | 22 | 3.09 | water_use | posting_only |
| conditional_acceptance | opposed | 20 | 7.10 | water_use | posting_only |
| curious | opposed | 15 | 7.20 | ai_general_backlash | posting_only |
| concerned | opposed | 14 | 7.50 | water_use | posting_only |
| supportive | opposed | 11 | 6.82 | ai_general_backlash | posting_only |
| supportive | concerned | 10 | 5.20 | grid_strain | posting_only |
| concerned | resigned | 10 | 6.30 | grid_strain | posting_only |
| concerned | informed_neutral | 9 | 3.89 | none | posting_only |
| opposed | resigned | 9 | 7 | water_use | posting_only |
| informed_neutral | concerned | 9 | 5.11 | air_diesel | posting_only |
| unaware | informed_neutral | 9 | 2.89 | none | posting_only |
| opposed | conditional_acceptance | 7 | 4.86 | water_use | posting_only |
| unaware | resigned | 6 | 7.33 | secrecy_nda | moved_away |
| concerned | conditional_acceptance | 5 | 4.60 | water_use | posting_only |
| unaware | conditional_acceptance | 5 | 4.40 | water_use | posting_only |
| curious | supportive | 5 | 4.80 | grid_strain | posting_only |
| informed_neutral | opposed | 5 | 7.40 | water_use | posting_only |
| conditional_acceptance | concerned | 4 | 7.50 | water_use | posting_only |
| concerned | supportive | 3 | 5.67 | crypto_mining_association | posting_only |
| mobilized_opposed | resigned | 3 | 7.33 | air_diesel | posting_only |
| opposed | curious | 2 | 4 | ai_general_backlash | posting_only |
| curious | mobilized_opposed | 2 | 6 | local_politics | attended_hearing |
| concerned | curious | 2 | 4.50 | water_use | posting_only |
| supportive | conditional_acceptance | 2 | 5 | ai_general_backlash | posting_only |
| resigned | opposed | 2 | 7.50 | ai_general_backlash | posting_only |
| informed_neutral | resigned | 2 | 6 | grid_strain | posting_only |
| opposed | concerned | 2 | 3.50 | water_use | posting_only |
| conditional_acceptance | resigned | 2 | 6.50 | land_use_rural | posting_only |
| mobilized_opposed | opposed | 1 | 6 | local_politics | other |
| supportive | mobilized_supportive | 1 | 8 | none | posting_only |
| supportive | resigned | 1 | 6 | grid_strain | posting_only |
| curious | conditional_acceptance | 1 | 4 | ai_general_backlash | posting_only |
| opposed | informed_neutral | 1 | 4 | crypto_mining_association | posting_only |
| opposed | supportive | 1 | 4 | tax_abatement | posting_only |
| conditional_acceptance | mobilized_opposed | 1 | 7 | water_use | petition |
| state_unclear | supportive | 1 | 8 | none | posting_only |
| supportive | mobilized_opposed | 1 | 9 | water_use | attended_hearing |
Share who describe taking action, by source: Texas local forums roughly 1 in 83; national forums roughly 1 in 106; organized opposition forums roughly 1 in 15; public testimony to the House committee nearly all.
“The only good bitcoin farm is a burned down bitcoin farm. These scumbags are destroying the planet for private profit.”
“Our local government partnered with distant billionaires to destroy our town, our air, and our environment for to make number go up.”
Site-level risk table
Operators named in at least 20 posts, with how the posts lean and what the water survey records for their surveyed sites.
| operator | type | posts | share opposed | share conditional | share taking action | share raising water | recorded gallons, 2025 | surveyed sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stargate (OpenAI / Oracle / Crusoe) | hyperscale | 867 | 44.1% | 4.2% | 1.4% | 22.9% | 0 | 0 |
| Amazon Web Services | hyperscale | 618 | 46.4% | 7.0% | 1.3% | 35.4% | 279,118 | 1 |
| Meta / Facebook | hyperscale | 590 | 46.1% | 5.1% | 1.7% | 39.5% | 65,215,971 | 1 |
| hyperscale | 568 | 44.9% | 5.5% | 0.9% | 52.6% | 263,586,800 | 1 | |
| Microsoft | hyperscale | 495 | 34.8% | 6.7% | 0.4% | 29.9% | 0 | 0 |
| xAI (named, not in survey) | unknown | 147 | 53.7% | 6.8% | 0.0% | 27.9% | 0 | 0 |
| Nvidia (named, not in survey) | unknown | 75 | 41.3% | 6.7% | 0.0% | 50.7% | 0 | 0 |
| Riot Platforms | crypto_hpc | 67 | 55.2% | 3.0% | 0.0% | 1.5% | 131,204,189 | 2 |
| Anthropic (named, not in survey) | unknown | 58 | 51.7% | 5.2% | 0.0% | 13.8% | 0 | 0 |
| SpaceX (named, not in survey) | unknown | 54 | 57.4% | 9.3% | 0.0% | 29.6% | 0 | 0 |
| Tesla (named, not in survey) | unknown | 50 | 82.0% | 2.0% | 0.0% | 42.0% | 0 | 0 |
| NTT Global Data Centers | colo | 40 | 40.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4,836,900 | 1 |
| Cloudburst (named, not in survey) | unknown | 39 | 48.7% | 2.6% | 12.8% | 35.9% | 0 | 0 |
| CyrusOne | colo | 36 | 38.9% | 5.6% | 2.8% | 16.7% | 106,943,188 | 4 |
| MARA (Marathon Digital) | crypto_hpc | 35 | 74.3% | 5.7% | 2.9% | 5.7% | 41,400 | 1 |
| Fermi America (Project Matador / HyperGrid) | hyperscale | 29 | 44.8% | 0.0% | 3.5% | 20.7% | 0 | 0 |
| Elon Musk (named, not in survey) | unknown | 28 | 64.3% | 7.1% | 0.0% | 28.6% | 0 | 0 |
| Stream Data Centers | colo | 27 | 22.2% | 3.7% | 0.0% | 18.5% | 8,178,883 | 2 |
| Musk (named, not in survey) | unknown | 26 | 84.6% | 11.5% | 0.0% | 26.9% | 0 | 0 |
| Vantage Data Centers | colo | 25 | 48.0% | 0.0% | 12.0% | 16.0% | 0 | 0 |
| QTS | colo | 24 | 20.8% | 4.2% | 0.0% | 79.2% | 76,692,339 | 2 |
| Palantir (named, not in survey) | unknown | 20 | 80.0% | 20.0% | 5.0% | 35.0% | 0 | 0 |
| Chevron (named, not in survey) | unknown | 20 | 60.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 20.0% | 0 | 0 |
Announced sites not yet in the water survey
Google in Red Oak (Ellis County); Meta / Facebook in Temple (Bell County); Meta / Facebook in El Paso (El Paso County); Microsoft in San Antonio (Bexar County); Stargate (OpenAI / Oracle / Crusoe) in Abilene (Taylor County); Fermi America (Project Matador / HyperGrid) in Amarillo (Carson County); Vantage Data Centers in Albany (Shackelford County); Compass Datacenters in Red Oak (Ellis County).
What defuses opposition
2,414 people said they could accept a data center under conditions. The conditions they attach most often: water use (1288), strain on the grid (956), electricity bills (322), dislike of AI itself (238), heat and climate (214). Read plainly: they want the water question answered, the tax deal visible, and the grid bill not passed to them.
“Because of all this I’m having to consider relocating my family just so we don’t become homeless.”
“the answer to data centers all along has been - a well regulated environment on noise, water usage design and utility rate impacts protects normal people and allows business to proceed.”
Early-warning signals
In Texas local forums, the share of posts raising water rose from roughly 1 in 17 to roughly 1 in 3 around 2025-03; this is a statistical break in the series, and the event behind it is confirmed by a person before it is named. In national forums, the share of posts raising water rose from roughly 1 in 3 to about 6 in 10 around 2025-05; this is a statistical break in the series, and the event behind it is confirmed by a person before it is named. Month by month, talk about water does not track the recorded rise in data-center intake; the two move independently.
data table · early-warning signals
| month | source | posts | posts about water | share about water | all forum posts that month | recorded intake, gallons | facilities surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01 | local | 6 | 0 | insufficient | 92 | 25,477,738 | 10 |
| 2023-02 | local | 6 | 0 | insufficient | 81 | 24,524,000 | 10 |
| 2023-03 | local | 4 | 1 | insufficient | 381 | 25,071,790 | 10 |
| 2023-04 | local | 2 | 0 | insufficient | 187 | 26,194,212 | 10 |
| 2023-05 | local | 24 | 0 | 0.0% | 159 | 25,721,879 | 10 |
| 2023-06 | local | 24 | 0 | 0.0% | 278 | 27,190,052 | 10 |
| 2023-07 | local | 2 | 0 | insufficient | 155 | 29,906,675 | 10 |
| 2023-08 | local | 32 | 4 | 12.5% | 226 | 29,393,876 | 10 |
| 2023-09 | local | 150 | 2 | 1.3% | 325 | 27,961,858 | 10 |
| 2023-10 | local | 22 | 3 | 13.6% | 227 | 28,055,094 | 10 |
| 2023-11 | local | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 152 | 26,213,797 | 10 |
| 2023-12 | local | 148 | 1 | 0.7% | 451 | 72,823,877 | 10 |
| 2024-01 | local | 155 | 2 | 1.3% | 438 | 70,387,491 | 24 |
| 2024-02 | local | 402 | 7 | 1.7% | 763 | 67,583,568 | 24 |
| 2024-03 | local | 13 | 1 | 7.7% | 120 | 74,597,685 | 24 |
| 2024-04 | local | 55 | 0 | 0.0% | 205 | 77,965,562 | 24 |
| 2024-05 | local | 22 | 1 | 4.5% | 500 | 82,375,714 | 24 |
| 2024-06 | local | 234 | 2 | 0.9% | 474 | 93,729,519 | 24 |
| 2024-07 | local | 259 | 2 | 0.8% | 563 | 98,869,700 | 24 |
| 2024-08 | local | 43 | 3 | 7.0% | 172 | 105,066,417 | 24 |
| 2024-09 | local | 65 | 8 | 12.3% | 197 | 88,440,933 | 24 |
| 2024-10 | local | 40 | 1 | 2.5% | 284 | 88,836,433 | 24 |
| 2024-11 | local | 129 | 21 | 16.3% | 365 | 78,617,183 | 24 |
| 2024-12 | local | 56 | 5 | 8.9% | 250 | 121,780,095 | 24 |
| 2025-01 | local | 223 | 33 | 14.8% | 445 | 80,800,188 | 88 |
| 2025-02 | local | 98 | 8 | 8.2% | 325 | 85,774,007 | 88 |
| 2025-03 | local | 32 | 11 | 34.4% | 601 | 101,201,162 | 88 |
| 2025-04 | local | 77 | 20 | 26.0% | 300 | 124,613,009 | 88 |
| 2025-05 | local | 139 | 42 | 30.2% | 445 | 123,280,051 | 88 |
| 2025-06 | local | 97 | 26 | 26.8% | 316 | 140,839,575 | 88 |
| 2025-07 | local | 344 | 177 | 51.5% | 1516 | 154,657,366 | 88 |
| 2025-08 | local | 199 | 58 | 29.1% | 485 | 161,654,403 | 88 |
| 2025-09 | local | 230 | 84 | 36.5% | 683 | 158,926,345 | 88 |
| 2025-10 | local | 330 | 96 | 29.1% | 564 | 141,764,716 | 88 |
| 2025-11 | local | 338 | 121 | 35.8% | 511 | 117,128,854 | 88 |
| 2025-12 | local | 575 | 187 | 32.5% | 972 | 155,706,791 | 88 |
| 2026-01 | local | 407 | 71 | 17.4% | 836 | ||
| 2026-02 | local | 973 | 265 | 27.2% | 1463 | ||
| 2026-03 | local | 788 | 297 | 37.7% | 1108 | ||
| 2026-04 | local | 1228 | 333 | 27.1% | 1845 | ||
| 2026-05 | local | 1136 | 327 | 28.8% | 1556 | ||
| 2026-06 | local | 1999 | 352 | 17.6% | 3113 | ||
| 2026-07 | local | 1932 | 367 | 19.0% | 2898 | ||
| 2026-08 | local | 2572 | 319 | 12.4% | 3653 | ||
| 2023-01 | national | 2 | 0 | insufficient | 372 | 25,477,738 | 10 |
| 2023-02 | national | 1 | 0 | insufficient | 225 | 24,524,000 | 10 |
| 2023-03 | national | 11 | 3 | 27.3% | 449 | 25,071,790 | 10 |
| 2023-04 | national | 13 | 9 | 69.2% | 285 | 26,194,212 | 10 |
| 2023-05 | national | 8 | 2 | 25.0% | 325 | 25,721,879 | 10 |
| 2023-06 | national | 2 | 1 | insufficient | 290 | 27,190,052 | 10 |
| 2023-07 | national | 10 | 10 | 100.0% | 213 | 29,906,675 | 10 |
| 2023-08 | national | 4 | 3 | insufficient | 393 | 29,393,876 | 10 |
| 2023-09 | national | 23 | 15 | 65.2% | 236 | 27,961,858 | 10 |
| 2023-10 | national | 7 | 2 | insufficient | 318 | 28,055,094 | 10 |
| 2023-11 | national | 5 | 3 | insufficient | 287 | 26,213,797 | 10 |
| 2023-12 | national | 4 | 0 | insufficient | 349 | 72,823,877 | 10 |
| 2024-01 | national | 3 | 0 | insufficient | 233 | 70,387,491 | 24 |
| 2024-02 | national | 28 | 4 | 14.3% | 606 | 67,583,568 | 24 |
| 2024-03 | national | 19 | 5 | 26.3% | 394 | 74,597,685 | 24 |
| 2024-04 | national | 10 | 1 | 10.0% | 324 | 77,965,562 | 24 |
| 2024-05 | national | 34 | 8 | 23.5% | 491 | 82,375,714 | 24 |
| 2024-06 | national | 37 | 9 | 24.3% | 543 | 93,729,519 | 24 |
| 2024-07 | national | 47 | 5 | 10.6% | 519 | 98,869,700 | 24 |
| 2024-08 | national | 13 | 0 | 0.0% | 798 | 105,066,417 | 24 |
| 2024-09 | national | 94 | 34 | 36.2% | 752 | 88,440,933 | 24 |
| 2024-10 | national | 55 | 22 | 40.0% | 523 | 88,836,433 | 24 |
| 2024-11 | national | 48 | 7 | 14.6% | 490 | 78,617,183 | 24 |
| 2024-12 | national | 64 | 40 | 62.5% | 489 | 121,780,095 | 24 |
| 2025-01 | national | 42 | 10 | 23.8% | 1161 | 80,800,188 | 88 |
| 2025-02 | national | 17 | 3 | 17.6% | 487 | 85,774,007 | 88 |
| 2025-03 | national | 26 | 7 | 26.9% | 574 | 101,201,162 | 88 |
| 2025-04 | national | 49 | 19 | 38.8% | 578 | 124,613,009 | 88 |
| 2025-05 | national | 79 | 38 | 48.1% | 843 | 123,280,051 | 88 |
| 2025-06 | national | 161 | 91 | 56.5% | 1181 | 140,839,575 | 88 |
| 2025-07 | national | 341 | 230 | 67.4% | 1680 | 154,657,366 | 88 |
| 2025-08 | national | 704 | 469 | 66.6% | 3470 | 161,654,403 | 88 |
| 2025-09 | national | 302 | 137 | 45.4% | 2000 | 158,926,345 | 88 |
| 2025-10 | national | 305 | 190 | 62.3% | 2923 | 141,764,716 | 88 |
| 2025-11 | national | 379 | 192 | 50.7% | 3400 | 117,128,854 | 88 |
| 2025-12 | national | 685 | 420 | 61.3% | 5518 | 155,706,791 | 88 |
| 2026-01 | national | 589 | 343 | 58.2% | 4034 | ||
| 2026-02 | national | 530 | 371 | 70.0% | 4337 | ||
| 2026-03 | national | 686 | 401 | 58.5% | 5636 | ||
| 2026-04 | national | 1135 | 403 | 35.5% | 8098 | ||
| 2026-05 | national | 2100 | 1280 | 61.0% | 12,860 | ||
| 2026-06 | national | 2839 | 1671 | 58.9% | 17,420 | ||
| 2026-07 | national | 2315 | 1218 | 52.6% | 16,599 | ||
| 2026-08 | national | 3202 | 1318 | 41.2% | 17,216 | ||
| 2023-01 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 25,477,738 | 10 |
| 2023-02 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 24,524,000 | 10 |
| 2023-03 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 25,071,790 | 10 |
| 2023-04 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 26,194,212 | 10 |
| 2023-05 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 25,721,879 | 10 |
| 2023-06 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 27,190,052 | 10 |
| 2023-07 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 29,906,675 | 10 |
| 2023-08 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 29,393,876 | 10 |
| 2023-09 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 27,961,858 | 10 |
| 2023-10 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 28,055,094 | 10 |
| 2023-11 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 26,213,797 | 10 |
| 2023-12 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 72,823,877 | 10 |
| 2024-01 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 70,387,491 | 24 |
| 2024-02 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 67,583,568 | 24 |
| 2024-03 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 74,597,685 | 24 |
| 2024-04 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 77,965,562 | 24 |
| 2024-05 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 82,375,714 | 24 |
| 2024-06 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 93,729,519 | 24 |
| 2024-07 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 98,869,700 | 24 |
| 2024-08 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 105,066,417 | 24 |
| 2024-09 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 88,440,933 | 24 |
| 2024-10 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 88,836,433 | 24 |
| 2024-11 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 78,617,183 | 24 |
| 2024-12 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 121,780,095 | 24 |
| 2025-01 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 80,800,188 | 88 |
| 2025-02 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 85,774,007 | 88 |
| 2025-03 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 101,201,162 | 88 |
| 2025-04 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 124,613,009 | 88 |
| 2025-05 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 123,280,051 | 88 |
| 2025-06 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 140,839,575 | 88 |
| 2025-07 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 154,657,366 | 88 |
| 2025-08 | activist | 0 | 0 | insufficient | 0 | 161,654,403 | 88 |
| 2025-09 | activist | 23 | 9 | 39.1% | 23 | 158,926,345 | 88 |
| 2025-10 | activist | 9 | 2 | 22.2% | 11 | 141,764,716 | 88 |
| 2025-11 | activist | 4 | 0 | insufficient | 6 | 117,128,854 | 88 |
| 2025-12 | activist | 10 | 2 | 20.0% | 16 | 155,706,791 | 88 |
| 2026-01 | activist | 14 | 5 | 35.7% | 17 | ||
| 2026-02 | activist | 13 | 2 | 15.4% | 17 | ||
| 2026-03 | activist | 24 | 9 | 37.5% | 31 | ||
| 2026-04 | activist | 22 | 8 | 36.4% | 27 | ||
| 2026-05 | activist | 105 | 12 | 11.4% | 113 | ||
| 2026-06 | activist | 169 | 49 | 29.0% | 178 | ||
| 2026-07 | activist | 252 | 64 | 25.4% | 287 | ||
| 2026-08 | activist | 332 | 46 | 13.9% | 352 |
After a verified event, the extra water talk faded with a half-life of about 17.2 months in Texas local forums; about 17.8 months in national forums; about 23.0 months in all sources.
In their words
“These people want total control of us through our water. We are pushing to the brink of a “day zero” disaster”
“I am vehemently opposed to additional AI data centers being built in TX and the United States.”
“Texas is giving data centers more than $1 billion in tax breaks each year. The tax break is one of the state’s costliest incentive programs”
“My children shouldn’t have to wear ear covers to play outside because the noise decibels from the 24/7 running generators.”
“So they use massive amounts of water. The same company that was just convicted for knowing harming youth by addicting them to their product is “working towards being more efficient and using less water.” Are you seriously this naive?”
“once it’s done we’ll have a giant eyesore, noise pollution, air pollution, contaminated water, and skyrocketing electricity prices. All for what? Maybe 30-60 permanent jobs?”
“They do not provide tax revenue. They get an obscene number of tax abatements and incentives and corporations famously dodge taxes anyway.”
“In Granbury they built one and it’s so disruptive and loud that it is causing people to have neurological problems and migraines. As someone with Chronic Migraine to a disabling level, that’s a fuuuuuuck no to data centers from me!”
“Please help all of us in SE Georgia by signing \this\ petition to stop Project Camellia: the $20B, 3.2 GW Open AI data center planned for Effingham County.”
“The AI bubble is going to burst and our farmland and neighborhoods will be left decimated and electricity bills still high”
“The data center gets tax breaks, uses millions of gallons of local water, drives up land prices, and brings maybe 30 permanent jobs. The town gets nothing.”
“Data centers and AI infrastructure cannot be treated as invisible “cloud” facilities when local people live with the noise, energy demand, land clearing, and environmental impact!”
Method note
Sources: public forum posts and comments and written testimony to a Texas House committee, read and sorted one by one; the Texas Water Development Board's county water use reports and its industrial water intake survey. Shares are of the posts from that source, never raw counts. Quotes are verbatim and unedited. Where a group had too few posts to say anything reliable, the tables say so instead of guessing.
this is one run on one population. the same pipeline reads any corpus of human text. read the other stress tests and field notes.
Bring us a population