Montana Vista residents oppose proposed Fort Bliss data center

Name: Montana Vista residents oppose proposed Fort Bliss data center
Uploaded: 2026-03-31T03:26:02.000Z
Duration: 2 min 23 s
Description: Residents in El Paso, Texas, are actively opposing a proposed data center at Fort Bliss, citing concerns over water usage, air quality, and increased electricity costs. The U.S. Army has conditionally selected Carlyle to build the facility, a decision stemming from a White House initiative to utilize military installations for data centers.

News Clip2:23KFOX14·El Paso County, TX·3/31/2026

Residents in El Paso, Texas, are actively opposing a proposed data center at Fort Bliss, citing concerns over water usage, air quality, and increased electricity costs. The U.S. Army has conditionally selected Carlyle to build the facility, a decision stemming from a White House initiative to utilize military installations for data centers.

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Gov: U.S. Army, Fort Bliss, El Paso Water, White House, U.S. Congress

Residents in El Paso, Texas, particularly in Montana Vista and surrounding neighborhoods, are vocally opposing a proposed data center slated for development at Fort Bliss. The U.S. Army has conditionally selected Carlyle, a private company, to construct and operate this data center on leased military land. The project, located near Montana and Loop 375 in Far East El Paso, is expected to be privately funded, generate approximately 2,000 jobs, and attract billions in private investment, primarily to support artificial intelligence and national security initiatives. 

Community members, including Ralph Carrasco, president of Empowering Area Communities & Households (EACH), and Mario Solano, vice president of EACH, have raised significant alarms regarding the potential environmental and economic impacts. Their concerns focus on the immense water and electricity demands of data centers, which they fear will strain the region's already limited water resources, degrade air quality, and lead to increased utility rates for local residents. Carrasco noted that property owners in Montana Vista and Homestead Meadows have already received notices about new transmission lines potentially encroaching on their land, linking these developments to facilities like the Meta McCloud Facility. The Sembrando Esperanza Coalition has been actively opposing data centers in El Paso County since 2025, including the previously proposed Meta AI Data Center.

While El Paso Water has confirmed a meeting request from the federal government to discuss the project, and El Paso Electric stated the announcement would not impact its customers, residents remain unconvinced and demand more transparency. U.S. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar revealed that the decision to use military installations for data centers originated from the White House, which proceeded despite her request to delay the decision until community input was gathered. Escobar is currently exploring possible legislative actions in response to these developments.