More than 240 people packed a Bastrop, Texas, meeting in July, with dozens turned away and 250 more listening online, to oppose proposed data centers over water, power and environmental risks.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller joined the protest, saying drought and farm cutbacks had already strained supplies, while residents expanded objections to flooding, noise, fires, housing costs and loss of open land.
The backlash is being driven by the AI buildout: BloombergNEF forecasts U.S. data-center demand reaching 194 gigawatts by 2035, up from 40 gigawatts in 2025 and 83% above its prior projection.
Water has become the sharpest flashpoint in Texas, where officials still lack a clear estimate of data-center consumption even as planners project $174 billion in water-infrastructure needs over 50 years.
Bastrop’s fight mirrors a broader national movement, with clashes in New Mexico and Kansas and growing calls in Texas for Gov. Greg Abbott to halt new projects until lawmakers impose regulations.