AI Boom Sparks Growing Backlash Over Data Centers Across America
A proposed 2,100-acre Comanche Circle data center campus in Hood County, Texas, has drawn strong opposition from nearby residents concerned about the rural landscape, water, electricity, noise and utility impacts. The article places the dispute in a broader national backlash against rapid AI-related data center development, while noting that Loudoun County, Virginia, has ended by-right data center development and that TerraWatt is planning a St. Louis project in a converted warehouse.
Residents and landowners in Hood County, Texas, are opposing the proposed Comanche Circle data center campus, which would span about 2,100 acres and place large buildings near homes and ranchland in the Paluxy River Valley. Brian and Laura Crawford and Joanne Carcamo, co-founders of Protect the Paluxy Valley, cite concerns about the rural character of the area, watershed protection, noise, utility strain and industrial expansion. The project is one of several proposed in Hood County that together would cover more than 7,600 acres.
The Hood County dispute reflects a broader nationwide debate over the costs and benefits of AI-driven data center construction. Supporters cite investment, jobs and national competitiveness, while opponents focus on local electricity and water demands and limited permanent employment. The article also highlights Loudoun County, Virginia, where officials ended by-right data center development in 2025, and St. Louis, where TerraWatt plans to convert roughly one million square feet of warehouse space into a data center using a closed water system and separately funded electricity infrastructure.