Texas Data Center Boom Falters Amid Growing Opposition

The state of Texas has long been touted as a haven for cryptocurrency miners and data center operators. However, a growing opposition movement, backed by Greenpeace, is threatening to derail this trend.

A recent University of Texas poll found that 56% of Texans now oppose data center construction in their communities, with rural areas showing an even higher disapproval rate of 62%. This shift in public sentiment has already led to the stalling or blocking of at least 75 data center projects worth around $130 billion.

The movement gained momentum when Hill County enacted a one-year moratorium on new data center construction due to widespread public outcry. Greenpeace USA and over 520 other organizations have since called for a national moratorium on new data centers tied to unregulated AI and cryptocurrency growth, citing concerns over water and electricity usage.

The coalition specifically targets Texas Bitcoin mining facilities, highlighting their high energy consumption and carbon intensity. The roots of this conflict date back to China's crackdown on cryptocurrency mining in 2021, which led to a massive migration of mining operations to Texas.