ANTENNA JIM REPORTS

Local investigations, public safety information, and special reports affecting North Central Texas communities.

Current reports appear first. Previous Antenna Jim reports will remain available here as a public archive.

Texas Government & ERCOT / PUC / Utility Oversight

ERCOT developer deadline Oct 12; reports due Dec 10; TCEQ compliance update due Oct 19

New calendar details clarified this week on Sept. 21 halt:

ERCOT requires affected developers to submit complete State and Community Impact RFI responses, supporting documentation, and notarized attestation by 5 p.m. Central Time on October 12, 2026. ERCOT plans to publish the resulting report on or before December 10, 2026.

TCEQ must report compliance with the permit pause to the Governor by Monday, October 19, 2026. Halt lasts until ERCOT completes review, applies to all permits including islanded behind-the-meter generation.

Fact-Check Links:

https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/environmental-law/1848740/texas-pauses-all-environmental-permitting-for-data-centers — "ERCOT requires... by 5 p.m. Central Time on October 12, 2026. ERCOT plans to work with the PUCT to publish... on or before December 10, 2026... TCEQ to report... by October 19, 2026"

https://sitebraid.dev/blog/texas-tceq-permit-halt-ercot-energization-pause-two-gates/ — "On September 21, 2026, Governor Abbott wrote TCEQ... to pause issuance of all permits... until ERCOT completes its review... TCEQ shall provide a compliance update... by Monday, October 19, 2026."

https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-directs-tceq-to-halt-data-center-permits — Official release: "TCEQ shall provide an update... by Monday, October 19, 2026."

**WHEN THE TAX BASE GROWS, WHO BENEFITS?**

10/5/26 12:32 PM Archived at https://www.antennajim.com/

**What Bosque County Can Learn From Somervell County**

**Antenna Jim Reports – Fact Sheet**

Bosque County could be entering a period unlike anything it has experienced in recent years.

Large industrial development can add substantial new taxable property to a county. The proposed data-center development at Laguna Park is one project we are following closely. There has also been local talk of an expansion involving the Clifton-area lime operation, although Antenna Jim has not yet found enough public documentation to confirm it.

The question for Bosque County residents is not simply how much new tax revenue might eventually arrive.

The bigger question is:

**When the county's tax base grows, how can county government use that growth to reduce the property-tax burden on the people already living here?**

One possible tool is already written into Texas law.

### THE LOCAL-OPTION HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION

Texas allows counties, cities, and certain other taxing units to exempt up to **20% of the appraised value of a residence homestead** from that taxing unit's property tax.

The exemption must be worth at least $5,000.

Texas law also allows a county to provide an additional local exemption for homeowners who are **65 or older or disabled**, with the exemption being at least $3,000.

This matters because these exemptions are separate from the large, state-required school homestead exemption.

We are talking here about the **Bosque County government portion of your property-tax bill.**

### WHAT BOSQUE COUNTY DOES TODAY

According to the Bosque Central Appraisal District's current local-exemption listing:

**Bosque County**

- General local-option homestead exemption: **$0**

- Additional local over-65 exemption: **$0**

- Additional local disabled exemption: **$0**

Bosque County does have tax ceilings listed for qualifying over-65 and disabled homeowners, but it currently does not provide those additional county exemptions.

That doesn't mean Bosque County is doing anything wrong. These exemptions are optional.

It means they represent a policy choice that could be reconsidered if the county's financial position changes.

### LOOK NEXT DOOR AT SOMERVELL COUNTY

This is where the comparison becomes interesting.

The latest Somervell Central Appraisal District annual report I could verify lists the following exemptions for **Somervell County government**:

- General homestead exemption: **20%**

- Over-65/disabled exemption: **$50,000**

- Qualifying surviving-spouse exemption: **$50,000**

Somervell County's Water District and Hospital District also list a 20% homestead exemption and $50,000 over-65/disabled exemptions.

Somervell County therefore provides homeowners with the **maximum percentage homestead exemption permitted under this section of Texas law.**

That does not mean Bosque County and Somervell County are financially identical.

They are not.

Somervell has had a large industrial tax base for decades, including major energy-related property. Its county tax calculations for 2025 showed approximately **$4.7 billion in total taxable value.**

But Somervell provides a useful real-world example of how a rural county with substantial industrial property can use local-option exemptions.

### BOSQUE COUNTY ALREADY HAS ITS OWN EXAMPLE

We do not even have to leave Bosque County to see how the mechanism works.

The **Bosque County Hospital District** currently provides:

- A **10% local-option homestead exemption**

- A **$10,000 over-65 local exemption**

- A **$10,000 disabled-person local exemption**

In 2025, that 10% homestead exemption applied to **5,577 homesteads** and removed approximately **$117.3 million of residential value from taxation by the Hospital District.**

So this is not some theoretical tax mechanism that has never been used here.

**It is already being used in Bosque County.**

The question is whether the county government itself might eventually consider something similar.

### WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO A HOMEOWNER?

Here is a very simple illustration.

Suppose a residence is appraised at **$300,000.**

A 10% county homestead exemption would remove:

**$30,000 from the value taxed by Bosque County.**

A 20% exemption would remove:

**$60,000.**

Using Bosque County's 2025 county tax rate of $0.341 per $100, strictly as an illustration, that would have meant approximately:

**10% exemption — about $102 less in county tax**

**20% exemption — about $205 less in county tax**

That would affect only the **county portion** of the property-tax bill. It would not automatically reduce school, city, ESD, groundwater, or other taxing-unit taxes.

Future savings would depend upon the tax rate and property value in effect at that time.

### WHAT COULD IT COST THE COUNTY?

We can also gauge the scale from Bosque County's own Hospital District numbers.

Its 10% homestead exemption removed approximately **$117.3 million** from taxable value in 2025.

If Bosque County government had exempted that same amount of taxable value and we used its 2025 tax rate solely for comparison, roughly **$400,000 in county property-tax levy** would have been shifted away from those homesteads.

That is not a proposal, and it is not a prediction.

It simply shows the approximate size of the decision.

The actual cost of a future county exemption would have to be calculated using that year's certified appraisal roll, number of qualifying homesteads, tax rate, budget requirements, and debt obligations.

### WHY THE DATA CENTER MATTERS

This is where future industrial growth enters the discussion.

If a major data center or other industrial development places hundreds of millions — or potentially much more — in new taxable property onto the Bosque County tax roll, the county could collect substantially more revenue even without placing the entire burden of county government on existing residential property.

But we should not count that money yet.

A project announcement, construction value, and final **taxable appraised value** are not necessarily the same thing.

Before Antenna Jim attaches a dollar figure to the Laguna Park project, we need to know:

- What facilities actually get built.

- When they become taxable.

- Their certified appraised value.

- Whether any exemptions or incentive agreements apply.

- What the Bosque County tax rate is at that time.

Until those numbers exist, treat any revenue figure as a scenario—not a promise.

### AND WHAT ABOUT THE LIME PLANT?

Lhoist North America has an existing lime manufacturing operation in Bosque County. TCEQ records confirm the Clifton Lime Plant and its operating permit.

However, Antenna Jim has **not yet verified the reported major expansion** through sufficient public records.

For that reason, we are not counting any new lime-plant value in this analysis.

If an expansion is confirmed, we will add it.

### THIS WOULD BE A FUTURE DECISION

Texas law requires a taxing unit that wants to adopt the percentage local-option homestead exemption to act by **June 30 of the applicable tax year.**

So this discussion is not about rewriting the 2026 tax bill.

It is about planning for **2027 and the years that follow**, particularly as major new industrial property begins appearing on the Bosque County tax rolls.

### THE QUESTION GOING FORWARD

Bosque County will always need money for roads, law enforcement, emergency services, courts, employees, buildings, and the other responsibilities of county government.

The question is not whether to fund those services.

The question is what happens if the tax base grows considerably.

Does county government simply collect substantially more?

Does it reduce the tax rate?

Does it adopt a local-option homestead exemption?

Does it increase relief for older and disabled homeowners?

Or does it use some combination of those tools while maintaining adequate reserves and county services?

Those are decisions for Bosque County's elected officials and, ultimately, its taxpayers to discuss.

But Somervell County demonstrates that **local-option exemptions are one tool available to a rural Texas county with a large industrial tax base.**

And Bosque County may soon have an opportunity to have that same conversation.

**Antenna Jim will continue following the numbers as the new industrial projects develop. Facts first — and we will update this analysis when actual taxable values become available.**

Who Gets the Amazon Tax Money in Somervell County? 10/03/26

ANTENNA JIM FACT SHEET

This will be archived at- https://www.antennajim.com/

along with everything else.

There has been a lot of discussion about the Amazon/AWS data center project on Vistra property near Comanche Peak.

One question keeps coming up:

If Amazon gets a tax incentive from Somervell County, does that mean nobody else gets property-tax money?

The answer is no.

The county’s Chapter 381 agreement applies to Somervell County’s portion of the property tax. Other local taxing entities have their own tax rates and are separate from the county agreement unless they have made their own deal with Amazon.

THE CURRENT LOCAL TAX RATES

For every $100 of taxable property value:

Glen Rose ISD: $0.7600

Somervell County: $0.3246

Somervell County Water District: $0.1240

Somervell County Hospital District: $0.0480

Together, those four rates equal:

$1.2566 per $100 of taxable value

That sounds complicated, so here is the easier way to look at it.

WHAT HAPPENS WITH $1 BILLION IN TAXABLE VALUE?

If $1 billion worth of Amazon property actually appears on the local tax rolls, the regular property taxes would roughly break down like this:

Glen Rose ISD: $7.6 million per year

Somervell County: $3.246 million per year before the Chapter 381 incentive

Somervell County Water District: $1.24 million per year

Somervell County Hospital District: $480,000 per year

Total before the county incentive:

About $12.566 million per year

NOW ADD THE COUNTY’S 381 AGREEMENT

Somervell County’s agreement with Amazon gives Amazon a major incentive on the county portion of its property tax.

Based on the agreement we reviewed, Amazon receives back about 90% of the covered county property-tax amount, leaving Somervell County with roughly 10% of its normal county tax during the incentive period.

On $1 billion in taxable value:

Normal Somervell County tax would be about:

$3.246 million

After a 90% grant back to Amazon, the county would retain approximately:

$324,600

That does not mean Glen Rose ISD, the Water District or Hospital District automatically lose 90% of their taxes too.

Their taxes are separate.

WHAT COULD THE OTHER LOCAL ENTITIES RECEIVE?

If no separate Amazon incentive applies to them, then for every $1 billion in taxable value:

Glen Rose ISD could receive about $7.6 million

Somervell County Water District could receive about $1.24 million

Somervell County Hospital District could receive about $480,000

Somervell County could retain about $324,600 after the 381 incentive

That comes to roughly:

$9.645 MILLION PER YEAR

in locally retained property taxes for every $1 billion of taxable value, based on these rates and assumptions.

IMPORTANT — THAT DOES NOT MEAN AMAZON WILL PAY EXACTLY THAT

The project has been discussed publicly as a possible $5 billion investment.

That does not mean we can simply multiply $5 billion by the tax rates.

There is a big difference between:

How much Amazon spends building the project

and

How much taxable value the appraisal district eventually places on the property

Servers, equipment, buildings, construction-in-progress, depreciation, exemptions and appraisal rules can all affect the final taxable value.

So the safest way to explain it is:

For every $1 billion that actually appears as taxable value on the Somervell County appraisal roll, these rates give us a reasonable estimate of what the local taxing entities could receive.

WHAT ABOUT SALES TAX?

Amazon’s Spectrum Data Center project has been certified under Texas’ large data center project program.

That program can exempt qualifying purchases such as certain servers, cooling systems, electrical systems and other eligible equipment from both state and local sales/use taxes.

That is separate from property tax.

So there are really two different tax discussions:

Property tax: paid on taxable property value and divided among local taxing entities.

Sales tax: charged on qualifying purchases, where the state data-center exemption may apply.

THE SIMPLE VERSION

Here is the easiest way to understand it:

Somervell County made the Chapter 381 deal.

That deal affects the county’s share of property taxes.

It does not automatically erase taxes owed to:

Glen Rose ISD

Somervell County Water District

Somervell County Hospital District

Those entities could still receive substantial tax revenue as Amazon buildings and equipment are added to the tax rolls.

WHAT WE STILL NEED TO CONFIRM

Before calling these final numbers, Antenna Jim still wants to verify:

Whether the exact Amazon parcels are taxed by all three of those local entities.

Whether any separate incentive or agreement exists with Glen Rose ISD, the Water District or Hospital District.

What taxable value the appraisal district eventually places on the project.

How much of the proposed project Amazon actually builds.

BOTTOM LINE

The Amazon deal is not simply:

“Amazon gets a tax break and nobody gets anything.”

The more accurate picture is:

Somervell County gives up a large portion of its own property-tax share under the Chapter 381 agreement, while other local taxing entities may still collect their normal property taxes unless they have entered into separate agreements.

That means Glen Rose ISD, the Water District and Hospital District could become some of the biggest local revenue beneficiaries of the project as it is built and added to the tax rolls.

Updated Power: 9/30/26

SOMERVELL COUNTY–AMAZON DATA SERVICES

Chapter 381 Economic Development Agreement — Fact Sheet

Company: Amazon Data Services, Inc.

County: Somervell County, Texas

Agreement: Chapter 381 Economic Development Agreement

Agreement identification: 213-AWS-021226

Project: Amazon/AWS data-center development associated with the Vistra/Comanche Peak area.

THE TAX INCENTIVE

The agreement provides Amazon a substantial county property-tax incentive lasting 15 years.

Somervell County Judge Danny Chambers publicly described the arrangement as Amazon paying what amounts to a 10% ad valorem tax during the 15-year incentive period. In other words, the county incentive effectively leaves the county with about 10% of the covered property-tax amount rather than the full amount that otherwise would be due.

This is one of the most financially significant provisions in the agreement.

$2.5 MILLION PAYMENT TO SOMERVELL COUNTY

Amazon is required to make a $2.5 million payment to Somervell County.

According to Judge Chambers' description of the agreement, this payment becomes due after the first 120 days of construction.

$300,000 PER BUILDING

The agreement provides for payments of $300,000 per qualifying building.

Public reporting describing the agreement identifies these as annual payments for each building.

Plans connected with the project have contemplated as many as 18 two-story buildings on approximately 435 acres. That 18-building number is a proposed maximum, not a guarantee that all 18 will be constructed.

If all 18 ultimately qualified for a $300,000 annual payment, the arithmetic would be $5.4 million per year. That should be treated as a possible maximum under that assumption—not as guaranteed county revenue.

SALES TAX

Judge Chambers has also stated that sales-tax revenue is part of the financial arrangement.

The precise sales-tax formula deserves to be kept separate from the property-tax incentive until the specific contract provision can be quoted directly.

WATER

This is an especially important provision for Somervell County.

In written testimony submitted to the Texas Legislature, Judge Chambers stated that Somervell County and AWS reached an agreement requiring AWS to use surface-water rights owned by Vistra associated with Squaw Creek Reservoir for cooling the AWS data centers.

Chambers specifically said the agreement was designed so the project would not use the area's natural groundwater resource for cooling.

That is stronger information than simply saying Amazon "plans" to use surface water—the county judge represented to the Legislature that it is part of the agreement reached with AWS.

ELECTRIC POWER

In the same legislative submission, Chambers stated that the power provided to AWS is owned by Vistra.

Follow Up: Thanks Laura Crawford:

Here’s the important part of this agreement for our area. Vistra has a 20-year agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) for 1,200 megawatts of power from the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant in Somervell County. Power deliveries are expected to begin in late 2027 and gradually increase through 2032. This does not mean 1,200 MW is being sent directly to one Amazon data center; it is a power-purchase agreement involving electricity delivered through the grid. What makes this important locally is that we are already following Amazon’s proposed development and its Somervell County 381 agreement. At this point, I have not found documentation proving the 1,200-MW Comanche Peak agreement is specifically for that Somervell County project,

NOISE REQUIREMENT

The recorded agreement contains a specific sound provision.

The agreement references a Sound Study and establishes a 65 dBA sound-level threshold. The indexed contract language indicates that certain county annual-grant payments can be affected until a sound study concludes that project sound levels do not exceed 65 dBA.

That means noise is not merely a voluntary promise—it is tied to the economic-development agreement.

PROJECT SIZE

Public project filings and reporting describe:

Approximately 435 acres in the Somervell County portion of the project.

Up to 18 two-story data-center buildings.

A potential investment of approximately $5 billion has been associated with the project.

Construction has been reported as potentially beginning in 2027.

These are proposed project figures and should not be interpreted as guarantees that Amazon must ultimately construct all 18 buildings or invest the full $5 billion unless the corresponding minimum-investment requirements are established in the executed agreement.

LENGTH OF THE DEAL

The major county tax incentive runs for 15 years.

Chambers later told Texas lawmakers that the AWS agreement would help stabilize the Somervell County budget for the next 15 years.

COUNTY APPROVAL

Somervell County Commissioners Court approved moving forward with the Chapter 381 agreement.

Reported vote:

For:

County Judge Danny Chambers

Commissioner Wade Busch

Commissioner Jeff Harris

Against:

Commissioner Richard Talavera

Commissioner Chip Joslin

WHAT A CHAPTER 381 AGREEMENT DOES

Chapter 381 of the Texas Local Government Code allows a county to establish an economic-development program and provide incentives to encourage development.

In this case, Somervell County is providing Amazon Data Services substantial economic incentives in return for development of the project and the payments and conditions established by the agreement.

IMPORTANT POINTS FOR RESIDENTS

The agreement does not simply mean Amazon pays no taxes. The arrangement is a tax-incentive agreement under which the county receives a reduced portion of covered property taxes while also receiving other contract-established payments.

The major items residents should watch as the project develops are:

When the 15-year incentive period actually begins.

Which buildings qualify for the $300,000 annual payment.

How many buildings Amazon actually constructs.

Whether Amazon meets the agreement's sound requirements.

Whether the project continues to rely on Vistra's surface-water rights rather than groundwater.

The actual amount of sales-tax revenue Somervell County receives.

Whether all investment, construction, and other performance requirements required for Amazon to continue receiving the incentive are met.

BOTTOM LINE

Somervell County's agreement with Amazon is not just a general promise to bring a data center to the county.

It is a 15-year economic-development arrangement involving a major property-tax incentive, a $2.5 million payment, $300,000-per-building payments, sales-tax revenue, water provisions involving Vistra surface-water rights, and a contractual noise standard tied to a 65 dBA sound study.

The amount Somervell County ultimately receives will depend heavily on how much of the proposed campus Amazon actually builds and whether the project continues to meet the conditions in the agreement.

ANTENNA JIM DATA CENTER FACT SHEET

Bosque • Hood • Hill • Somervell

Updated September 28, 2026

BOSQUE COUNTY

Walnut Springs ProjectCo LLC

CONFIRMED:
The Texas Comptroller lists Walnut Springs ProjectCo LLC as a Registered Qualifying Data Center Project with an effective date of June 30, 2026. Walnut Springs ProjectCo LLC is listed as owner, occupant and operator.

STILL TO VERIFY:
Exact project parcel and physical location; parent company or investors behind the LLC; electrical demand; ERCOT/interconnection status; utility provider; water source; wells or groundwater permits; cooling technology; acreage; construction schedule; road impacts; tax incentives; county or city development approvals.

STATUS:
Confirmed state data-center registration; local project details remain under investigation.

CyrusOne / Calpine — Laguna Park area

STATUS:
Separate known data-center development associated with Calpine's Thad Hill Energy Center in the Laguna Park area.

WATCHING:
Power infrastructure, water source and makeup-water needs, construction progress, roads, incentives, and additional public filings.

HOOD COUNTY

Sailfish Investors Acquisitions LLC

PROJECTS NAMED IN APPEAL:
Comanche Circle; Project Lion; Project Panther.

CONFIRMED:
Hood County Commissioners Court is scheduled to hear an appeal concerning on-site permit decisions for all three projects at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

Location: Central Jury Room, Ralph H. Walton Jr. Justice Center, 1200 West Pearl Street, Granbury.

The public notice says commissioners will consider the appeal and hear protests before deciding whether to uphold or change the permit decisions.

STILL TO VERIFY:
The complete Development Department permit denials; reasons each permit was denied; full Sailfish appeal filings; current project scale; power requirements; water plans; road impacts; any incentives or development agreements; and the relationship among Comanche Circle, Lion, and Panther.

NEXT IMPORTANT DATE:
October 13, 2026.

HILL COUNTY

Project Aquila / RCM Hill LLC

CONFIRMED:
RCM Hill filed a federal lawsuit against Hill County on May 27, 2026, following the county's data-center moratorium. Court records show the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice on July 9, 2026.

The earlier moratorium had already been rescinded.

STATUS:
The lawsuit should no longer be described as an active case.

Nexus Data Center — Hubbard area

CONFIRMED:
Hill County Commissioners Court minutes from April 7 state that representatives of the Nexus Data Center project had walked away from negotiations and would not seek a county tax abatement at that time.

STILL TO VERIFY:
Whether the underlying project remains active; current developer plans; power requirements; water plans; property status; any new permits or agreements.

SOMERVELL COUNTY

Project Spectrum / Amazon Data Services

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED:
Public reporting has described a proposed data-center development associated with Amazon Data Services near the Comanche Peak area, including an initial approximately 435-acre development with as many as 18 buildings and a reported potential investment of about $5 billion.

CURRENT STATUS:
No consequential newly verified Somervell County action identified in the September 28 check.

STILL TO VERIFY:
Current megawatt requirement; exact grid arrangement; water source and consumption; cooling technology; final development agreements and incentives; construction timetable.

STATEWIDE ACCOUNTABILITY DEVELOPMENTS

ERCOT DATA CENTER IMPACT RFI

APPLIES TO:
Developers of qualifying data centers pursuing ERCOT interconnection at 25 MW or greater.

INFORMATION REQUESTED:
Ownership and controlling interests; public assistance and tax benefits; grid dependency; on-site generation; water sources and consumption; cooling technologies; noise; light; traffic and other community impacts.

DEADLINE:
October 12, 2026.

EXPECTED PUBLIC REPORT:
On or before December 10, 2026.

WATER USE ENFORCEMENT

September 14:
The Governor directed the Texas Water Development Board to enforce existing water-use survey requirements involving major users, including data centers.

TWDB was also instructed to coordinate with ERCOT concerning data-center water consumption, water sources and water-efficient technology.

TWDB must provide an enforcement update by October 14, 2026.

ATTORNEY GENERAL INVESTIGATION

September 24:
The Texas Attorney General announced an investigation into hundreds of data-center developments concerning compliance with required water-use reporting.

The initial announcement identified projects in 18 counties.

Bosque, Hood, Hill and Somervell were not specifically listed among that initial group.

The Attorney General described the inquiry as an ongoing investigation into data-center developments across Texas.

TCEQ PERMIT DIRECTIVE

September 21:
The Governor directed TCEQ to halt permits sought by data-center projects until the ERCOT audit is completed.

TCEQ is instructed to report on its compliance with that directive by October 19, 2026.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

October 12 — ERCOT Data Center Impact RFI deadline.

October 13 — Hood County Sailfish appeal/public hearing.

October 14 — TWDB data-center water enforcement update due.

October 19 — TCEQ update to Governor's Office due.

December 10 — ERCOT/PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION data-center impact report expected by this date.

ANTENNA JIM FOLLOW-UP PRIORITIES

Bosque County: Identify the Walnut Springs ProjectCo property and the company ultimately behind the project.

Hood County: Obtain the Sailfish permit denials and appeal documents before the October 13 hearing.

Hill County: Watch Project Aquila/RCM Hill and determine whether Nexus remains active despite ending tax-abatement negotiations.

Somervell County: Continue seeking primary records establishing Project Spectrum's electricity requirement, water source, cooling method and final incentive package.

Statewide: Watch ERCOT, TWDB, TCEQ and Attorney General records for disclosures involving any Bosque, Hood, Hill or Somervell County project.

Antenna Jim reporting standard: Confirm through public records whenever possible, clearly distinguish verified information from unverified claims, and update the public when the records materially change.

Data center weekly briefing

Texas Tightens Data Center Water Oversight 09/22/26

Antenna Jim has been following data-center development across Bosque, Hood, Erath, and Somervell counties, especially questions about electricity, water, infrastructure, and public disclosure.

This week, one statewide development is worth watching closely.

On September 14, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Water Development Board to enforce existing water-use reporting requirements for major water users, specifically including data centers.

Data centers receiving a state water-use survey are required by law to provide the requested information. Failure to comply can bring enforcement consequences and can make a facility ineligible for certain TCEQ water-right permits, amendments, or renewals.

The Water Development Board was also directed to work with ERCOT as part of the state's broader audit of data-center projects.

The information being sought includes:

• How much water a data center expects to use

• Where that water will come from

• Expected future water consumption

• What type of cooling system will be used

• What water-conservation or reuse technology is planned

This matters locally.

Those are some of the same questions residents have been asking as major data-center projects are proposed or developed across our part of North Central Texas.

The Texas Water Development Board has been directed to report back to the Governor's Office by October 14, 2026, on the progress of its enforcement efforts.

Then, on September 21, the state went another step further. Gov. Abbott directed TCEQ to halt permits sought by data-center projects until the ERCOT audit process is completed.

For now, Antenna Jim will continue watching the records in Bosque, Hood, Erath, and Somervell counties rather than repeating information that has not changed.

When we find a significant verified local development involving power, water, roads, incentives, or public disclosure, we will report it.

For my Neighbors in Hill County & the meeting tomorrow, 9/22

Hope this helps a little.

DATA CENTER INCENTIVES — WHAT TEXAS LAW SAYS TODAY

There is understandably some confusion right now concerning data centers, financial incentives, and closed-door meetings.

Here is where things stand today:

Texas Government Code §551.087 is still in effect. It allows a Commissioners Court to meet in closed session to discuss certain commercial or financial information received from a business prospect and to deliberate an offer of a financial or other incentive during economic-development negotiations.

Governor Greg Abbott has taken a much stronger position on data centers and taxpayer-funded incentives. Today, September 21, he announced that he intends to work with the Texas Legislature next session to eliminate financial incentives for data centers.

The important words are “next session.”

That change has not yet been enacted into law. So, at this time, counties can still use the existing economic-development provisions of Texas law, including §551.087, when the requirements of that section are met.

However, §551.087 does not mean an entire data-center project can automatically be discussed behind closed doors simply because a data center is involved. The exception specifically concerns qualifying commercial or financial information and negotiations over incentives.

And one very important protection remains: a final action, decision, or vote concerning something discussed in executive session must be made in an open meeting.

So Hill County residents are dealing with a changing situation. The law presently allows certain negotiations to remain private, while the Governor is simultaneously pushing Texas toward ending financial incentives for data centers.

For residents following these projects, the questions to keep asking are simple:

What incentive is being considered?

How much public money or tax revenue is involved?

When will the agreement become public?

And when will Commissioners Court take its public vote?

Those are reasonable questions to follow as Texas policy continues to change.

“Texas Is Finally Asking the Questions Residents Have Been Asking About Data Centers”

On September 9, ERCOT began issuing its new “Batch Zero Verification” Requests for Information to large-load projects. Developers and their electric providers now have to supply documentation so ERCOT can determine whether the proposed load is legitimate and qualified to continue. ERCOT says the verification follows Gov. Greg Abbott’s August directive that the audit be completed before a data-center project is allowed to move forward in the interconnection process.

There is another important piece that directly matches questions Antenna Jim and others have been asking for months. On September 11, ERCOT deployed the system it will use not only to verify the large electric loads but also to collect information about the state and community impacts of data centers requesting 25 MW or more. ERCOT specifically describes this as a separate “Community Impact RFI.”

That means Texas is now seeking information on many of the subjects that have been difficult for residents to obtain locally. Abbott's directives say the review is supposed to examine project ownership, electricity demand, on-site generation, taxpayer-funded incentives, water sources and usage, water reuse and cooling, traffic, emergency-response coordination, noise, setbacks, and neighborhood impacts.

In the next few days, I will share the latest info for Bosque, Somervell, and Hood Counties Data Centers. Erath, I could not find enough verified information, but I will keep looking. I will do one County a day so it's not so long.

There is also an enormous credibility problem behind the crackdown. Abbott said ERCOT was dealing with more than 474 GW of proposed large-load requests — more than five times Texas' record peak demand. That is why the state is now trying to distinguish projects that are truly financed and ready to build from speculative requests tying up grid capacity.

Hood County Data Center Brief

9/15

We can now state more clearly who is behind Project Patriot. The project's own website identifies Bilateral Energy and its partners as the developer of the proposed approximately 2,000-acre digital-infrastructure campus at 2801 W. U.S. Highway 377 in Granbury.

That is significant for accountability because the project originally reached county officials under the Project Patriot code name with very little public disclosure. Previous reporting documented that officials were told confidentiality agreements limited what could be discussed publicly.

The new ERCOT verification process should therefore be watched particularly closely here. The state is now demanding substantially more information about ownership, power requirements, and community effects than residents were originally given locally.

Data Center News Brief

9/19/26: My last one until I see more verified information.

I will keep looking

Bosque County

The major known project remains CyrusOne's Bosque County campus with Calpine at the Thad Hill Energy Center. CyrusOne and Calpine publicly announced a 190-MW agreement covering power, grid connection, and land, and construction is underway.

CyrusOne also clarified this in its current Bosque County information. The company now says it plans two construction phases totaling five buildings, with the first phase expected to finish by Q3 2027 and the entire campus expected to be operational by Q4 2027. It also says the facility will use a closed-loop cooling system.

That timetable is worth noting because earlier public announcements talked about operation beginning in the fourth quarter of 2026. The company’s current project page therefore indicates a longer build-out than those earlier announcements.

Somervell County

The known major proposal remains the Amazon/AWS-related Project Spectrum development near Comanche Peak, associated publicly with Amazon Data Services and the Vistra area. Existing public information has described a roughly 435-acre campus and a potential multibillion-dollar investment.

The state's new community-impact and grid-verification requirements, however, are highly relevant because a project of this scale would fall well above ERCOT's large-load thresholds.

WHITE HOUSE DECLARES GRID EMERGENCY — HERE’S WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANS

Antenna Jim Special Report — Facts, Not Rumors

Aug 28, 2026

You may have seen headlines saying the White House has declared a national emergency involving the electrical grid. That sounds alarming, but it is important to understand what actually happened — and what did not happen.

The action concerns risks involving foreign-produced equipment used in the bulk-power system, including cybersecurity and remote-access concerns. It does not mean the United States is experiencing a nationwide electrical emergency, and it does not mean officials have announced that the Texas ERCOT grid is under attack.

The issue is about protecting critical electrical infrastructure before a serious problem occurs, rather than announcing that a widespread grid failure is already happening.

WHAT THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION ACTUALLY DOES

The federal action is aimed at protecting the equipment and technology that make up America's bulk-power system. The concern is that certain foreign-made electrical components could potentially create security vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.

This gives the federal government additional authority to identify, review, and restrict certain equipment or transactions considered a national-security risk.

It is primarily a security and prevention measure — not an announcement that the power grid is failing.

WHAT ABOUT TEXAS AND ERCOT?

Texas operates its own major power grid through ERCOT, and Texans are familiar with concerns about reliability during extreme heat, winter storms, and periods of very high electricity demand.

Those reliability issues are important, especially as Texas continues adding large new electrical loads such as data centers and industrial projects. But they are not the same thing as this federal emergency declaration.

There is no reason to interpret the declaration by itself as evidence that ERCOT is facing an immediate statewide grid emergency.

WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW

The words “national emergency” sound alarming, but this declaration does not mean America's electric grid is presently failing or that widespread blackouts have been announced.

The concern is security. The order specifically addresses foreign-produced equipment, software, firmware, digital services and remote-access capabilities that could create risks of sabotage, unauthorized access or supply disruption. It also directs the Department of Energy to identify risky equipment and develop rules for dealing with it.

The order also specifically mentions the rapid growth of data centers and artificial intelligence as increasing America's dependence on abundant, reliable electricity. That's worth watching locally as major data-center projects continue developing in our part of Texas.

BOTTOM LINE: This is a legitimate national-security action involving the bulk-power system, but it should not be confused with an announcement that the nation's power grid—or ERCOT—is currently collapsing. The purpose is to reduce vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

OFFICIAL SOURCES

White House — Executive Order: Securing the United States Bulk-Power System

Federal Register — Executive Order 14421

DO YOU KNOW THIS? — THE CHANGING ROLE OF PUBLIC SAFETY SCANNER FEEDS

Antenna Jim Special Report

August 19, 2026

Most people who listen to a public safety scanner feed probably think they're simply hearing local fire, EMS and law-enforcement radio traffic. But those live feeds can serve a much larger purpose.

Antenna Jim currently provides live scanner audio through Broadcastify, one of the largest public-safety audio streaming platforms. Scanner feeds like these can help keep communities aware of major accidents, fires, severe weather, road closures and other developing situations.

They also preserve something that is becoming increasingly difficult to find in many communities — real-time public awareness of what is happening before an official news release is issued.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Public safety radio systems have changed dramatically. Many agencies have moved from older analog systems to modern digital trunked systems, including P25 networks operating in the 700 and 800 MHz bands.

The technology itself is not the problem. Modern radio systems can improve coverage, interoperability and reliability for first responders.

The concern is encryption. Encryption prevents ordinary scanners — and therefore public scanner feeds — from receiving those communications.

There are legitimate reasons to encrypt sensitive law-enforcement communications, tactical operations and information that could endanger officers or the public. But when routine dispatch communications disappear as well, the public loses one of the few ways it has traditionally been able to follow developing emergencies in real time.

WHAT BROADCASTIFY AND FEED PROVIDERS DO

Broadcastify allows individual feed providers to stream public safety radio communications over the internet. Those feeds make local radio traffic available to people who may not own a scanner or live within radio range of the system being monitored.

Feed providers supply their own equipment, antennas, scanners, computers, internet connections and time to keep those streams operating. In many areas, these independently provided feeds have become another source of real-time public information during major incidents.

MORE THAN PEOPLE LISTENING TO A SCANNER

Scanner audio can have uses beyond someone simply listening at home. Broadcastify's audio and related data services can be used by organizations and technology platforms that analyze public safety information, including applications involving incident awareness and other real-time information services.

That means a scanner sitting in someone's home and feeding audio to the internet can become one small part of a much larger public-information network.

ENCRYPTION CHANGES THAT

As more agencies encrypt routine radio communications, there is simply less information available for scanner feeds to carry.

Antenna Jim supports protecting communications that genuinely need to remain private — tactical law-enforcement operations, sensitive personal information and communications where public monitoring could create a safety risk.

The concern is when everything becomes encrypted. If routine fire, EMS or basic dispatch traffic disappears from public monitoring, communities become increasingly dependent on information released by government agencies after an incident has already occurred.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Public safety scanner feeds aren't a replacement for law enforcement, emergency management or professional news organizations. They're another piece of the public-information system.

As radio technology continues changing, communities should have a reasonable conversation about where security is necessary and where routine public-safety communications can remain accessible.

Antenna Jim will continue providing the public safety communications that remain legally and technically available, while respecting the need to protect sensitive information and responder safety.

AntennaJim.com | North Central Texas Scanner News & Information

WHY NOW? WHY TEXAS?

AI • POWER • LAND • MONEY

What’s Really Driving Development Across Rural Texas?

Antenna Jim Special Report — June 5, 2026

If you live in rural North Central Texas, you've probably noticed something changing.

Large data-center projects, new transmission infrastructure, land purchases and enormous power demands are beginning to show up in places that, not long ago, would never have been considered major technology centers.

So why is this happening now — and why Texas?

The answer isn't one single thing. It's a combination of artificial intelligence, electricity, available land, infrastructure and money.

WHY NOW?

Artificial intelligence has dramatically increased the amount of computing power companies want to build.

Modern AI data centers can require enormous amounts of electricity. Unlike an office building or shopping center, these facilities may operate around the clock, filled with computer servers that require both continuous power and cooling.

That has created a race to build new computing capacity — and companies are looking for locations where very large projects can be developed relatively quickly.

WHY TEXAS?

Texas offers several things developers are looking for at the same time.

There is substantial land available outside the state's major cities. Texas also has a huge energy industry, an expanding transmission system, a business-friendly regulatory environment and communities interested in new investment and tax revenue.

Another major factor is that much of rural Texas is unincorporated.

Texas counties generally do not have the same broad zoning authority that cities have. That can leave county governments with fewer tools to control what gets built on privately owned land outside city limits.

That doesn't mean local government has no influence. Roads, utilities, development agreements, tax incentives and other infrastructure decisions can still become important parts of a project.

POWER MAY BE THE BIGGEST PIECE

For a massive data center, inexpensive land isn't enough.

It needs electricity — a lot of it.

That means the location of substations, transmission lines, generating facilities and planned grid improvements can be just as important as the property itself.

This is one reason rural areas that once seemed far removed from the technology industry can suddenly become attractive development locations.

And when several large electrical users begin looking at the same region, the discussion is no longer just about one company's property. It becomes a question about future power generation, transmission capacity and grid reliability.

WATER IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION TOO

Some data-center designs use significant amounts of water for cooling, while others use different cooling technologies that can greatly reduce water consumption.

That's why it's important not to assume every data center will use the same amount of water.

But in rural Texas, where groundwater and long-term water supplies already matter to farmers, landowners and growing communities, residents have every reason to ask how a proposed facility will be cooled and where its water will come from.

THEN THERE'S THE MONEY

These projects can represent investments measured in hundreds of millions — sometimes billions — of dollars.

That can mean construction jobs, permanent employment, additional tax base and economic activity.

But communities also need to understand the other side of the equation: tax abatements or incentives, infrastructure improvements, road impacts, electrical infrastructure and other commitments that may accompany a project.

A large investment number by itself doesn't tell the entire story.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS

Bosque, Hood, Erath, Somervell and surrounding counties sit in an interesting position.

We are close enough to the Dallas-Fort Worth region to benefit from major infrastructure and connectivity, while still having large areas of comparatively open land.

That combination is getting attention.

The important question isn't whether every data center is good or bad. Each project is different.

The important thing is that residents understand what is being proposed, what resources it will require, what incentives may be involved and what commitments are being made before the project is already underway.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The data-center boom didn't suddenly arrive in rural Texas by accident.

AI created enormous new demand for computing. Texas has land, energy infrastructure and a development environment capable of accommodating very large projects. Put those things together, and rural Texas becomes extremely attractive.

There can be real economic benefits.

There can also be legitimate questions about power, water, roads, taxes and transparency.

Those questions shouldn't be treated as opposition to development. They are the questions communities should ask whenever development of this size arrives.

Antenna Jim will continue following these projects across North Central Texas — separating what we can document from rumor and explaining what the developments could mean for the communities that will live beside them.

AntennaJim.com | North Central Texas Scanner News & Information

DATA CENTERS & NDAs

WHAT WE KNOW • WHAT WE DON’T • WHY IT MATTERS

Antenna Jim Special Report

Originally reported June 2026 — Updated September 2026

Across North Central Texas, residents have repeatedly asked a basic question about the wave of large data-center projects:

Why does so much of the information seem to stay private until a project is already well underway?

Part of the answer is the use of nondisclosure agreements — commonly called NDAs — along with confidentiality protections that are routinely used during economic-development negotiations.

An NDA by itself is not evidence of wrongdoing. Companies have legitimate reasons to protect site-selection plans, proprietary technology, financial information and negotiations with competing communities.

But there is another side to the issue.

When a project could require enormous amounts of electricity, affect water supplies, change roads and neighboring property, or receive public tax incentives, residents have a legitimate interest in knowing what their government is considering.

And we now have a documented example right here in our area.

HOOD COUNTY — A DOCUMENTED LOCAL EXAMPLE

In July 2025, Hood County commissioners considered a project identified only as “Project Patriot.” They described it as a large capital investment expected to create 60 high-wage permanent jobs.

Commissioners were being asked to support potential property-tax incentives even though important details about the company were not publicly available.

During that process, a Granbury economic-development official told commissioners that she was operating under a nondisclosure agreement and could not answer questions about the company.

That isn't rumor. The episode is documented in the county proceedings and has since been examined in reporting on Texas data-center transparency. The Hood County letter of support was eventually rescinded in January 2026 following public opposition.

Project Patriot subsequently became much less mysterious. The City of Granbury now maintains a public information page about the project, and in August it reported that Bilateral Energy had launched a Project Patriot website. Granbury also says it has received a concept plan, although as of August 6 it had not received development plans for the project.

That progression illustrates the issue remarkably well: information that was once protected during negotiations can eventually become public — but residents may spend months trying to understand what is happening in the meantime.

THIS ISN'T JUST HAPPENING HERE

The practice extends well beyond Hood County.

Texas data-center developers have used NDAs and corporate entities that can make it difficult for residents to determine who is actually behind a project. In previous Texas projects, even the identity of the ultimate technology company has sometimes remained undisclosed while incentive negotiations were taking place.

The practice has become controversial enough that Microsoft announced in April 2026 that it would stop using NDAs with local governments. The company acknowledged that it had previously used them during early data-center development to protect sensitive commercial information and security considerations, but said greater transparency was necessary to build community trust.

That's significant. One of the world's largest data-center operators is essentially saying that commercial confidentiality and public transparency need a different balance.

WHAT TEXAS LAW ACTUALLY ALLOWS

This part is important because an NDA does not automatically give a county or city the legal authority to hide anything it wants.

Texas law allows a governmental body to meet privately to discuss certain commercial or financial information involving a business prospect and to negotiate economic-development incentives. That's specifically provided for under Texas Government Code §551.087.

Texas public-information law also protects certain trade secrets, commercially sensitive information and economic-development negotiations.

But there is an important dividing line.

Once an agreement with a business prospect has been reached, Texas Government Code §552.131 says certain information concerning financial or other incentives involving public money or reduced government revenue is no longer protected under that particular economic-development exception.

The Texas Association of Counties made the point even clearer in guidance issued this June: an NDA does not override the Texas Public Information Act. Information that the law requires a county to release cannot simply be made secret because somebody signed a confidentiality agreement.

WHAT I COULD — AND COULD NOT — DOCUMENT LOCALLY

I specifically looked for comparable documented NDA situations involving data-center development in Bosque, Erath and Somervell Counties.

At this point, I do not have enough documentation to tell Antenna Jim readers that government officials in those three counties have signed data-center NDAs.

That distinction matters.

There may be confidential business discussions. There may be information that utilities or developers aren't publicly releasing. But that isn't the same as having evidence of a signed NDA.

Hood County/Granbury is the local case we can document. I will not turn suspicion in the other counties into fact.

There is, however, a broader transparency issue that goes beyond NDAs. Data-center proposals can reach local governments without complete information about electricity and water requirements. A review of Hood County proposals found that most did not provide estimated power consumption, while water information also varied substantially from project to project.

So sometimes the answer to “Why won't the county tell us?” may actually be:

The county doesn't know yet either.

WHY THIS MATTERS IN RURAL TEXAS

This becomes particularly important outside incorporated cities.

Counties in Texas generally have much less land-use authority than cities. A county commissioner cannot simply decide that a lawful private development will not be built because residents don't want it.

That makes the points where local government does have influence — roads, infrastructure agreements, incentives, permits within its authority and negotiations with developers — especially important.

If the public doesn't learn the details until those decisions are nearly complete, meaningful public participation becomes much harder.

SECRECY DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY MEAN CORRUPTION

This is where I want Antenna Jim to be fair.

An NDA isn't proof somebody is doing something crooked.

A company looking at several possible sites doesn't necessarily want competitors knowing where it is negotiating. Businesses legitimately protect financial information, engineering plans, security information and trade secrets.

Local officials can also argue that confidentiality allows them to negotiate a better deal without destroying a potential project before they know whether it is viable.

Those are legitimate arguments.

But confidentiality and accountability are not the same thing.

Once taxpayers are being asked to provide incentives, once public infrastructure becomes involved, or once a project could substantially affect neighboring communities, the public's interest becomes much stronger.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The concern isn't simply that somebody signed an NDA.

The concern is how long secrecy lasts, what information is withheld, who is bound by it, and whether the public gets meaningful information before important government decisions are made.

Hood County gives us a real local example of why that matters.

Texas law recognizes that some economic-development negotiations need confidentiality. But Texas law also recognizes that public business eventually has to become public.

For Bosque, Hood, Erath, and Somervell Counties, Antenna Jim will continue asking the same questions:

Who is developing the project?
What will it require from the electrical grid?
Where will the water come from?
What roads or infrastructure will be affected?
Are tax incentives involved?
When will the residents be able to see the details?

Those aren't anti-development questions.

They're public-information questions.

AntennaJim.com | North Central Texas Scanner News & Information

Sources for the website

Texas Government Code — Open Meetings Act §551.087, Texas Government Code — Public Information Act, including §§552.110 and 552.131, Texas Association of Counties — NDAs and the Texas Public Information Act, and City of Granbury — Project Patriot documents and updates.

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