‘We knew nothing about it’: Small town risks paying price of Waco data center dispute

Mayor Jim Jaska of Ross, Texas, has expressed profound frustration over a proposed $10 billion data center project slated for land adjacent to his small community. Despite the massive scale of the development by Infrakey, which plans a 526-acre complex including a 1.2 gigawatt natural gas power plant, Ross residents and officials were not informed until late last year. The data center developer, Infrakey, has been in discussions with Lacy Lakeview, a Waco suburb, since April 2025. The plan involves Lacy Lakeview annexing the land, currently within Waco's extraterritorial jurisdiction, to supply the millions of gallons of water required daily and benefit from substantial tax proceeds. However, Lacy Lakeview is seven miles from the site, while Ross is only steps away. Ross residents, led by Sara Mynarcik-Lenart, have organized weekly meetings since December, drawing over 350 people to discuss ways to prevent the project. Their concerns range from immense water usage and noise pollution to the potential destruction of Ross's rural identity. Despite these efforts, legal counsel has advised Mayor Jaska that Ross currently has limited control over the situation. The opposition movement has garnered national and international media attention, with reporters from Fortune Magazine and British YouTuber Josh Otten visiting Ross. Residents have also petitioned McLennan County to prohibit future tax abatements for the developers, though the county, like Lacy Lakeview, stands to gain from the project's tax revenues. Direct communication with Infrakey's CEO, Braham Singh, has proven difficult, with contact channels reportedly removed.