Texas Developers Need No Permission. Rural Counties Are Changing That.

Wise County's Commissioners Court voted unanimously to demand state oversight of datacenter siting, joining Hood, Somervell, and Jack counties in a coordinated push after 90 residents packed a public hearing and developer Ryan Hughes told commissioners he doesn't need their permission to build. There's no regular legislative session until January 2027, so until Austin acts, that political friction is the only permitting risk that's real.