Mason McCallister, a realtor whose family has owned property in the area for roughly 150 years, discovered the project only after months of detective work including property record searches, surveyor interrogation, and a 100-mile drive to confront Black Mountain CEO Rhett Bennett at an unrelated Fort Worth town hall.
CEO Rhett Bennett told a March 12 town hall the facility will draw 100% grid power, but wouldn't quantify water consumption beyond describing a "closed-loop circuit."
In Fort Worth, Black Mountain Power's 430-acre project cleared zoning unanimously, yet CEO Rhett Bennett couldn't specify water consumption figures, and nearby Weston Gardens president Jackson Weston raised alarm about potential groundwater depletion.
Black Mountain CEO Rhett Bennett told Fort Worth council the project will rely on both well water and municipal supply; environmental justice advocate Letitia Wilbourn criticized the company for failing to engage neighboring communities.