Community skeptical of proposed Fort Bliss data center

A proposed data center at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, is drawing considerable skepticism from the community. The U.S. Army has partnered with global investment firm Carlyle Group to develop the massive, multi-tiered facility on unused land in far east El Paso, near Montana Avenue and Loop 375. While details remain in early negotiation stages, initial operations are projected to begin by late 2027, reaching full capacity in 2029. Project leaders, including U.S. Army and Carlyle representatives, held a listening session to address community concerns. They promised the facility would be completely self-contained, generating its own power (potentially through gas) to avoid burdening El Paso's electric grid and employing a "net-neutral" closed-loop water system to prevent using the city's clean water. The site is slated for 100 megawatts initially, eventually scaling to three gigawatts. However, dozens of El Pasoans who attended the open house expressed frustration, stating that leaders failed to provide concrete answers and that promises of "closed-loop systems" were misleading. Residents voiced concerns that the community cannot sustain another data center without severe consequences, questioning the accuracy of the proposed solutions. Officials indicated their next priority is to complete a full economic impact study to determine the project's precise effects on the community.