West Texas Data Center Project Addresses Activist Concerns Head-On
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Energy West Texas Data Center Project Addresses Activist Concerns Head-On By David Blackmon,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. David Blackmon is a Texas-based public policy analyst/consultant.Follow Author Jun 02, 2026, 08:25am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Schematic rendering of Project Horizon, located near Fort Stockton, Texas.Poolside Infrastructure Company As data centers sprout up across America to fuel the AI boom, controversy follows. Protests have erupted in recent weeks over concerns about massive electricity demands straining grids, fears of water shortages in drought-prone regions, and disruptions to local communities from construction traffic and noise. Activists and some local citizens paint the industry as an environmental and social juggernaut, eating up resources while delivering benefits few truly grasp and which the industry has not adequately describes.
Amid this rising tide of opposition, one project in far west Texas is taking an innovative approach to addressing major issues up front: Poolside Infrastructure Company’s Project Horizon, a 1.2 GW AI campus rising in the Permian Basin desert near Fort Stockton, Texas. Rather than allowing problems to fester and attract organized opposition, Project Horizon demonstrates how vertical integration, smart engineering, and community focus can turn infrastructure challenges into competitive advantages.