Guadalupe County residents sue commissioners court over data center tax breaks
Guadalupe County residents have filed a lawsuit against the county's Commissioner's Court over alleged violations related to tax breaks and development agreements for the Cloudburst and Palomino Alpha data center projects. Residents are concerned about the environmental impact, utility rates, and the rural way of life. The lawsuit claims the county violated state laws in approving tax incentives for the developments.
Residents of Guadalupe County, Texas, are taking legal action against the county's Commissioner's Court concerning tax breaks and development agreements for two data center projects: Cloudburst and Palomino Alpha. The lawsuit, filed by a group including ranchers and the Data Center Action Coalition, accuses the county of violating the Texas tax code, conflict of interest laws, and the Texas Open Meetings Act during the approval process for these projects.
Abigail Lindsay, a long-time resident whose family has lived on land adjacent to the proposed Cloudburst data center site for generations, expressed significant concerns about the developments. She highlighted potential negative impacts on wildlife, dark skies, food supply, water resources, electricity rates, and air/sound pollution. The plaintiffs claim the two projects would convert over 1,700 acres of rural land into massive data center campuses, demand gigawatt-scale power, and cost taxpayers an estimated $150 million in property tax incentives. They also allege that county leaders made decisions behind closed doors.
Lindsay views the lawsuit as a crucial step in protecting her community's rural way of life, acknowledging the extensive effort involved in the fight. A KENS 5 reporter reached out to Guadalupe County officials, who declined to comment on the pending litigation.