Texarkana Residents Protest 500-Acre Data Center Project

Texarkana, Texas residents are protesting the development of a 500-acre data center campus, known as Project Big Pine, announced in April 2026 by TexAmericas Center. Potentia Development plans to invest $3.5 billion at full buildout to create a hub for data centers and power-intensive industries. Proponents estimate the project will create over 120 jobs and establish Texarkana as a tech center.

However, local residents have voiced significant opposition, primarily due to environmental and resource concerns, with a particular focus on the data center's substantial water consumption. Danny Lee Proctor, a resident and member of the Bowie Miller County Data Center Opposition Facebook group, which has over 2,200 members, stated that initial meetings to discuss the project grew from 15 to 160 concerned citizens within weeks. The group is advocating for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to convene a special legislative session to address data center development.

This local resistance in Bowie County, which has a population of under 93,000, reflects a broader national trend of communities pushing back against the rapid expansion of data centers. These facilities, essential for storing and managing digital information, including that used by artificial intelligence systems, number around 4,000 nationwide. The Texarkana protest highlights the growing tension between technological development and local community concerns regarding infrastructure impact and resource allocation.