Fury as 100 million 12 months previous dinosaur park might be DESTROYED by new AI knowledge middle

A new proposal to build a huge AI data center near a 100 million year old dinosaur park in Texas has sparked outrage over claims it could destroy the historic site. 

The proposal by NRG Energy, headquartered in Houston, outlines a development plan for a 2,600 acre AI-generated natural gas power plant next to the Paluxy River, which also feeds the Dinosaur Valley State Park. 

The plan would see dozens of massive server buildings and plants erected on land where dinosaurs roamed millions of years ago, and left footprints that have been preserved for millennia. 

The plant itself feeds into the Paluxy River, the same body of water where dinosaur footprints remain to this day. 

Fury has since erupted across the community, with protesters rushing to send letters to the state to urge them not to welcome the data center. 

Similarly, the Fort Worth Group of the Sierra Club has been calling on residents to oppose a trio of air quality permits linked to the project, submit comments to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and request a public meeting or case hearing. 

Opponents have taken to social media to share their frustrations, as one wrote on X: ‘Nah man this is beyond f***ed, protect Dinosaur Valley State Park.’  

‘If they replace Dinosaur Valley State Park with a data center, I might actually become an ecoterrorist,’ another posted. 

Brian Crawford, a local, said if the plan were to be approved, it would be a ‘huge loss to the world, really,’ he told CHRON. 

Many have gone on to share steps on how to contact the state about their concern for the park. 

The Fort Worth Group of the Sierra Club has also shared information about the proposal on their channels, stating that destroying the park would not only be horrible because of the history it holds, but also because of the wildlife that still call it home. 

‘These proposed routes would clear critical habitat and disrupt migratory paths for protected species, including the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler,’ the group wrote. 

Crawford, who lives near the park, said that Sailfish Investors, partners with NRG Energy, have contingent contract with on about 2,100 acres of property in the area. 

He told the outlet that the proposed project was initially supposed to be a five-gigawatt data center, but it now looks like it will be three. 

According to Crawford, that would likely need to be supplemented by three ‘massive’ natural gas power plants. 

Plans presented to Hood County commissioners revealed 45 buildings that are about 45,000 square-feet each, something Crawford compared to roughly 112 Walmart Supercenters. 

He presumed that the data center would also need approximately 2,000 diesel backup generators. 

The Lone Star state has been experiencing severe water shortages, and according to Crawford, the center would take most of the little water the community has to operate. 

‘The primary consumer of water are the power plants, not the data center,’ he said, predicting that the plant could possibly use 16.5 million gallons of water per day. 

Following an outcry from the public, the Somervell County Water Conservation District declined a water supply for the project. 

But that might not stop the energy company because it could seek approval to drill wells through the Upper Trinity Water Conservation District instead. 

‘We don’t believe that there’s any way that he’s going to be able to, one, get that much water, and two, get approval to get that much water,’ Crawford said, referring to the developer. 

He also noted that runoff water is a concern if the project is built at the dinosaur park because the plans include three discharge points that would flow into creeks that lead to the Paluxy River – where the land-dwelling reptiles’ footprints are located. 

‘The famous Glen Rose dinosaur tracks are in the Paluxy river bed in Dinosaur Valley State Park,’ Crawford said, adding that it would be a ‘huge loss to the world’ if they were obstructed. 

Hood County commissioners recently voted 3-2 against a proposed six month moratorium, or temporary prohibition, of new industrial projects following a warning letter from Senator Paul Bettancourt, who said counties don’t have the power to impose developmental pauses. 

He also urged Attorney General Ken Paxton to get involved if it is set in place. 

Crawford said he is not against AI, he just doesn’t see it benefiting his hometown.  

‘We’re asking the governor to take a hard look, tap the brake a little bit, and say, ‘Wait a minute,’ Crawford said. 

‘Data centers are fine and good, but maybe there needs to be guardrails. We can’t put up guardrails until we take some time. Allow counties to issue a moratorium. Let the local people say if they’re interested in a data center or not.’