Hood County Commissioners are expected to vote on whether to support or try to stop a data center from coming into the rural county. Land owners have gone head-to-head with county leaders since this morning, demanding they reject or at least pause any industrial developments from being built. Dozens of speakers made impassioned pleas to county commissioners. “Please make decisions for those of us you represent and not outsiders who are dangling incentives,” said one woman. “May God and not greed guide and direct you.” Several Hood County landowners spoke before the commissioners court, demanding that their representatives stand firm against big tech data centers. There is concern over whether counties have the ability to stop such projects and whether this could lead to lawsuits against the county. “The only kind of A.I. we need around here is ‘actual intelligence,” said another resident. One of the main arguments surrounds an agenda item to ‘discuss and take appropriate action to establish a temporary moratorium on all applications for concept plans, site development plans, and permits, and on the issuance of any site permits, for industrial developments.’ Many lifelong residents are asking the county to reject or at least place a one-year moratorium on any data centers seeking to build facilities in the county, including the Comanche Circle Development. This is a 2,000-acre data center and power plant planned along Paluxy Highway. Residents say they are deeply concerned about any added stress on the county’s water and power supply, and any noise these facilities could cause.  Hood County is already home to a Bitcoin mining facility. Commissioners filed in and out of executive sessions before the crucial vote. Opponents warn that this debate is one all Texas counties could very well face. One man turned to the packed room and said, “I encourage each one of you to contact Governor Abbott right now to make sure he calls a special session to take up these issues surrounding data centers because it’s across the state of Texas. Texas, we have a problem.” NBC 5 reached out to Florida-based Sailfish Investors. Managing Partner Ryan Hughes declined to comment on Comanche Circle, but said: “Once we’ve advanced the project past the predevelopment stage, I’ll be happy to answer questions at that point.” ...read more read less