Brazoria County rejects tax break for nearly $4B data center project

Brazoria County commissioners have unanimously rejected a package of tax abatements sought by developer Nightpeak Energy for its proposed $3.5 billion Old Ocean Data Center campus project. The project includes two 310-megawatt hyperscale data centers and two 310-megawatt power plants. Despite the county's vote, the project is likely to move forward, according to the county judge. The data center campus could begin operations as soon as 2027. Local opposition stems from concerns over noise, water consumption, and power demand, as well as experiences with another data center in the area. This reflects a growing national backlash against data center development as demand for computing power surges.