Data Center Developer Uses Courts to Bully Hill County
Rural county is the first to pass a data center moratorium in Texas
AUSTIN, Texas — On Thursday, a developer sued Hill County, the first county in Texas to approve a pause on data center development aimed at protecting residents in the small county north of Waco.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in the Western District of Texas by the Texas-based data center developer RCM Hill, LLC, seeks to nullify the moratorium approved on May 12 and claims $100 million in damages.
Adrian Shelley, Texas director of Public Citizen, issued the following statement:
“This bullying tactic is the result of state leaders leaving local communities like Hill County to fend for themselves against data centers. County commissioners were responding to constituent demands. Across the state, in commissioners’ courts and city halls, Texans have expressed frustration, fear, and concern about what a data center might mean for their community. So far, state leadership has not been on their side. If Gov. Abbot and the Legislature really want to protect Texans, they should act now to either provide statewide safeguards to protect communities from the impact of data centers or give local jurisdictions more authority to take the action their constituents are demanding. Without action, counties across Texas will be faced with a choice between risking scarce local resources and the community’s way of life or potentially bankrupting lawsuits from developers aiming to make a buck at the expense of Texans.”