{
  "researchCutoff": "August 3, 2026",
  "metric": {
    "label": "Cumulative distinct Texas jurisdictions with a documented data-center siting conflict",
    "unit": "jurisdictions",
    "definition": "A jurisdiction enters this review's count when a retrieved record documents organized public opposition, opposition voiced at a government meeting, or a formal local action responding to community, water, grid, land-use, noise or infrastructure concerns.",
    "deduplication": "One count per local siting dispute and jurisdiction. Later meetings, votes, lawsuits or withdrawals in the same dispute do not add another jurisdiction.",
    "caveat": "This is a source-bounded cumulative footprint, not a statewide census of public opinion or every Texas data-center dispute. Report dates are used where the underlying meeting date was not specified."
  },
  "resistance": [
    {
      "date": "2025-09-11",
      "dateLabel": "September 11, 2025",
      "place": "College Station",
      "classification": "Public meeting and official vote",
      "evidence": "Hundreds packed City Hall, 5,047 petition signatures were delivered, and the council unanimously rejected a proposed city land sale for a data center.",
      "source": {
        "title": "KBTX report on the College Station vote",
        "url": "https://www.kbtx.com/2025/09/12/college-station-city-council-unanimously-rejects-land-sale-ai-data-center/"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2025-09-25",
      "dateLabel": "By September 25, 2025",
      "place": "Amarillo",
      "classification": "Public organizing; report date",
      "evidence": "Residents held a community event opposing five planned data centers and warning about potential effects on the Ogallala Aquifer.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Texas Tribune report on data centers and water",
        "url": "https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/25/texas-data-center-water-use/"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2025-12-14",
      "dateLabel": "December 14, 2025",
      "place": "Ross / Lacy Lakeview",
      "classification": "Organized public meeting",
      "evidence": "Residents gathered at the Ross Volunteer Fire Department in opposition to the proposed Infrakey project; organizers had begun meeting after learning of it in November.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Texas Tribune and Waco Bridge local-control report",
        "url": "https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/13/texas-data-centers-local-governments-power/"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-01-26",
      "dateLabel": "By January 26, 2026",
      "place": "El Paso",
      "classification": "Reported public opposition",
      "evidence": "A proposed gas-generation plan associated with Meta's data-center load prompted local opposition over air, water and ratepayer consequences.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Texas Tribune report on the El Paso power plan",
        "url": "https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/26/texas-el-paso-meta-data-center-natural-gas-power-plant/"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-02-13",
      "dateLabel": "By February 13, 2026",
      "place": "Harlingen / Cameron County",
      "classification": "Public comment; report date",
      "evidence": "Residents raised concerns about water, electricity and the balance between promised jobs and local costs; county officials publicly addressed their limited authority.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Texas Tribune and Waco Bridge local-control report",
        "url": "https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/13/texas-data-centers-local-governments-power/"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-02-17",
      "dateLabel": "February 17, 2026",
      "place": "San Marcos",
      "classification": "Public meeting and official vote",
      "evidence": "Residents filled City Hall for a proposed AI data center; the council rejected the requested rezoning after testimony about water and other local effects.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Texas Tribune report on the political backlash",
        "url": "https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/07/texas-republicans-data-centers-rural/"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-04-13",
      "dateLabel": "April 13, 2026",
      "place": "Athens",
      "classification": "Public comment in official minutes",
      "evidence": "Residents spoke in opposition to data-center development during the City Council meeting.",
      "source": {
        "title": "City of Athens April 13 meeting minutes",
        "url": "https://www.athenstx.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_04132026-691"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-04-16",
      "dateLabel": "April 16, 2026",
      "place": "Blanco County",
      "classification": "Formal local resource-protection response",
      "evidence": "The groundwater district adopted a resolution seeking additional authority over high-volume industrial water users including data centers.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Blanco-Pedernales GCD Resolution 20260416-1",
        "url": "https://www.blancogroundwatertx.gov/files/b440668e9/RESOLUTION+NO.+20260416-1.pdf"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-05-11",
      "dateLabel": "May 11, 2026",
      "place": "Red Oak",
      "classification": "Organized opposition and official vote",
      "evidence": "Residents opposed another proposed data-center development before the council approved the high-tech park and tax abatement.",
      "source": {
        "title": "CBS Texas report on the Red Oak vote",
        "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/red-oak-community-fight-against-another-data-center-getting-approved-north-texas/"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-05-12",
      "dateLabel": "May 12, 2026",
      "place": "Hill County",
      "classification": "Formal county response",
      "evidence": "The Commissioners Court approved a one-year construction moratorium while the county examined data-center effects; it was later rescinded after litigation.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Hill County May 12 meeting minutes",
        "url": "https://www.co.hill.tx.us/upload/page/7613/docs/CCMinutes/2026/CC%20Minutes%20May%2012%202026.pdf"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-06-22",
      "dateLabel": "June 22, 2026",
      "place": "Archer County",
      "classification": "Formal county response",
      "evidence": "County commissioners denied a proposed data-center tax abatement.",
      "source": {
        "title": "NewsChannel 6 report on the Archer County vote",
        "url": "https://www.newschannel6now.com/2026/06/22/archer-county-commissioners-deny-tax-abatement-proposed-data-center/"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-07-23",
      "dateLabel": "July 23, 2026",
      "place": "Cedar Creek Lake / Henderson County",
      "classification": "Withdrawal after community backlash",
      "evidence": "Diode withdrew the proposed project after organized local opposition; the governor said it failed his standards and community expectations.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Office of the Governor withdrawal announcement",
        "url": "https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/east-texas-data-center-withdraws-after-falling-short-of-governor-abbotts-standards"
      }
    }
  ],
  "statePosture": [
    {
      "date": "2025-11-14",
      "dateLabel": "November 14, 2025",
      "kind": "promotion",
      "label": "Promotion continued",
      "title": "Abbott calls Texas the “epicenter of AI development” while announcing Google's $40 billion plan.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Office of the Governor Google announcement",
        "url": "https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-google-announce-40-billion-investment-in-texas"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-01-12",
      "dateLabel": "January 12, 2026",
      "kind": "countercurrent",
      "label": "A contrary statewide voice",
      "title": "Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller calls for steering data centers away from prime farm and ranchland.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Texas Department of Agriculture statement",
        "url": "https://texasagriculture.gov/News-Events/News-Events-Details/Article/10742/Commissioner-Miller-Calls-Upon-State-and-Federal-Legislators-to-Protect-Vital-F"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-06-10",
      "dateLabel": "June 10, 2026",
      "kind": "abbott-action",
      "label": "Abbott's regulatory turn",
      "title": "Abbott directs PUC and ERCOT to shield ratepayers and proposes water, reporting, siting and incentive changes.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Office of the Governor directive announcement",
        "url": "https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-directs-puc-and-ercot-to-shield-texans-from-data-center-infrastructure-costs"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-06-30",
      "dateLabel": "June 30, 2026",
      "kind": "abbott-action",
      "label": "Rural prohibition proposed",
      "title": "Abbott calls for prohibiting data centers in rural Texas neighborhoods; no such statewide ban had been enacted by the cutoff.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Texas Tribune report on Abbott's Bullard statement",
        "url": "https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/30/texas-abbott-data-center-development-ban-rural-communities/"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-07-23",
      "dateLabel": "July 23, 2026",
      "kind": "abbott-action",
      "label": "A project withdraws",
      "title": "The governor announces Diode's Cedar Creek Lake proposal will not proceed after failing his standards and community expectations.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Office of the Governor withdrawal announcement",
        "url": "https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/east-texas-data-center-withdraws-after-falling-short-of-governor-abbotts-standards"
      }
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-08-03",
      "dateLabel": "August 3, 2026",
      "kind": "abbott-latest",
      "label": "Latest action: audit gate",
      "title": "Abbott orders PUC and ERCOT to audit every queued data-center project before it moves forward and deny noncompliant projects a grid connection.",
      "source": {
        "title": "Office of the Governor comprehensive audit directive",
        "url": "https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-directs-comprehensive-data-center-audit"
      }
    }
  ]
}