Young County residents address data center developer at Commissioners Court

Young County residents confronted commissioners and a data center developer, Headwaters Site Development, an affiliate of Stream Data Centers, at a June 22 Commissioner's Court meeting regarding the proposed Project Saltworks.

This large-scale data center campus, envisioned with up to 15 buildings across approximately 867 acres in unincorporated Young County near Graham, Texas, has drawn significant local opposition. Residents expressed concerns about the project's impact on water resources, increased traffic on Highway 61, noise pollution, the potential influx of construction workers, rising crime, and the loss of rural character. While developer Matt Long claimed the facility would use an air-cooled, closed-loop system consuming minimal water for cooling, residents questioned water needs for construction and fire suppression, noting the need for a larger water line for fire suppression infrastructure.

Despite one supporter speaking on the economic stability the project could provide, community members urged commissioners to reject the proposal. The Young County Commissioners Court responded by unanimously voting 5-0 to table a letter agreement that would have placed developer funds into escrow to help the county hire lawyers and consultants to review the project, effectively delaying its advancement. Construction, if eventually approved, is not expected before 2027.