Residents gathered Monday night to question developers and county officials about a proposed data center under construction in Bosque County, raising concerns about water use, noise, tax revenue and the project’s long-term impact.
The town hall meeting, held at the Clifton ISD Performing Arts Center, was a special session of the Bosque County Commissioners Court focused on a presentation from CyrusOne, the company developing the large-scale facility near the Brazos River below the Lake Whitney dam.
Many residents focused on water use and the project’s potential effect on local aquifers.
CyrusOne President John Hatem said the facility will not rely on evaporative cooling, a system often associated with high water consumption at data centers.
“We do not use evaporative cooling. That’s where people hear about data centers using millions of gallons a day. That is not the system we use,” Hatem said.
Instead, Hatem said the data center will use a closed-loop cooling system, with water circulating continuously rather than being constantly drawn from outside sources. The cooling water will be trucked to the site and stored in an on-site reservoir. It will not be taken from Lake Whitney or the Brazos River.
Water for daily use, such as restrooms and sinks, would come from on-property wells drilled into the Middle Trinity aquifer.
“This facility is independent of the kind of water demand people are worried about when they talk about data centers,” Hatem said.
Still, company estimates show the facility could use up to 500,000 gallons of water annually for about 40 employees. That is more than eight times the average Texas household.
The estimate raised concerns among residents like Robert Payne, who said he has seen groundwater levels decline for years.
“Bosque County is going to be out of groundwater in 30 to 35 years,” Payne said. “Every time I pull a pump, every five years, it drops seven feet.”
Hatem said the location was chosen in part because it can connect to the nearby Calpine power plant. The 400-megawatt data center would draw about half of the plant’s output during normal operations. It would disconnect from the grid during emergencies.
Hatem acknowledged that misinformation online has contributed to community anxiety about the project. Residents continued to press developers and county officials on energy use, environmental impacts and potential noise.
Similar concerns have emerged in Lacy Lakeview, where a separate and larger data center proposal has drawn significant public opposition.
Despite those concerns, county leaders said the CyrusOne project could bring a major economic boost to Bosque County, which has a population of just over 19,000.
Officials estimate the development could generate about $70 million in tax revenue over 30 years. That would increase the county’s tax base by about 120%, according to reporting by The Waco Bridge.
Commissioners said the added revenue could give the county more flexibility to fund long-delayed repairs, including roads and other infrastructure. No specific plans have been finalized.
“If we can do some capital improvements, things that are a one-time deal, and blend that with some tax rate reduction, that’s probably the right approach,” said County Commissioner Ronnie Liardon.
Liardon said commissioners will be watching closely as the project moves forward.
In response to questions about long-term financial benefits, Jeff Dorrill, an attorney for CyrusOne, pointed to the company’s track record across Texas.
“One of the things that’s really good news is that this data center is being built by a company that has been in the business a long time,” Dorrill said. “They view themselves as a partner.”
Construction on the first phase of the project is expected to wrap up this fall. The phase includes two buildings on the 270-acre site.
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