Delta County officials have scheduled a public informational meeting to discuss a proposed data center project that could be built in the county.
According to a public notice posted by the county, the meeting will take place Monday, March 2 at 6 p.m. at the Cooper ISD High School cafeteria/auditorium. The notice describes the event as an informational town hall and states that no formal action will be taken by the Commissioners Court at that gathering.
The proposed developer expected to attend is LS Power, an energy and infrastructure investment and development firm.
County materials released so far do not include specific site maps, water-use estimates, or electrical demand projections. Social media posts circulating locally have raised concerns about water availability, power consumption, noise, and long-term development impacts.
Why data centers draw attention
Large-scale data centers are significant electricity users. In Texas, recent reporting has highlighted how new data center projects are influencing power generation planning and grid demand.
Depending on cooling design, data centers may also use substantial amounts of water. Water use varies widely by system type, climate, and operational scale.
Noise concerns can also arise. Cooling systems and backup generators can produce sound, though impacts depend on facility design and mitigation requirements.
Water supply questions
Some social media posts have referenced water contracts tied to Jim Chapman Lake, also known as Cooper Lake. The reservoir provides water supply to multiple contracted users.
Historic water-supply storage contracts involving the reservoir were approved decades ago.
Details about how a proposed data center would source water — whether through surface contracts, groundwater, reuse systems, or alternative cooling methods — have not been outlined in publicly available county materials to date.
What is known — and what isn’t
At this stage, several details remain unclear, including:
- The precise proposed location of the facility
- Estimated daily and annual water usage
- Cooling system type
- Projected electrical demand and interconnection plans
- Whether on-site power generation is proposed
- Noise mitigation measures
- Property tax or incentive agreements, if any
Those are among the questions that deserve answers as the public discussion moves forward.
The March 2 meeting is expected to provide additional information about the scope and potential impacts of the project.
KETR will continue monitoring developments and will report additional confirmed details as they become available.
