Hood County is facing a wave of proposed data center developments — including projects that could span thousands of acres and consume massive amounts of water every day. Residents are raising serious concerns about impacts to our aquifers, rivers, air quality, and quality of life.

Yet when commissioners considered a six-month pause on new industrial projects — including data centers — to study these impacts, the proposal was voted down.

This wasn’t a ban. It wasn’t anti-technology. It was a temporary pause so local leaders could evaluate how multiple large-scale projects would affect water supplies, infrastructure, wildlife, and public health before construction begins.

Hood County already faces water strain. Data centers, especially those paired with power generation, require enormous amounts of water and energy. Proposed projects could sit near recharge zones and watersheds that our communities depend on. Once that water is gone, we cannot simply get it back.

Communities across the country are pressing pause to assess similar developments. That’s not radical, it’s responsible governance.

A short moratorium would give county officials time to:

• Study cumulative water use impacts
• Evaluate strain on power infrastructure
• Assess air quality and noise concerns
• Ensure growth does not outpace resources

Development should not move faster than our ability to protect essential resources.

We call on the Hood County Commissioners Court to revisit and pass a temporary moratorium on new data center development until a comprehensive impact study is completed.

Our water, our land, and our community deserve careful planning — not rushed expansion.

Sign this petition to demand a pause and protect Hood County’s future.