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What Is a Data Center, and Why Does It Matter to Port Arthur?
Every time we upload a photo, order something online, stream a movie, or ask artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT or Grok to answer a question, that information must travel to a physical location where it is processed and stored. Those locations are called data centers.
Data centers are large facilities filled with servers, hard drives, networking equipment, and cooling systems that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These facilities make up the modern internet and artificial intelligence industry.
The four main types of data centers are:
Enterprise data centers
Managed services data centers
Colocation data centers
Cloud data centers
While data centers provide digital services, they also require enormous amounts of electricity, water, land, and infrastructure. That is why the proposed data center tied to the Pleasure Island Power Collective in Port Arthur deserves the public spotlight and scrutiny.
The Growing Power Demand of Artificial Intelligence
At first glance, generating an image or a short AI video online may not seem like a big deal. However, artificial intelligence requires tremendous computing power. The energy demand grows rapidly as these systems become more advanced. The difference between a 3-second video and a 6-second video is quadrupled. To generate an image uses the same amount of energy as using a microwave for 5 seconds. A 5-second clip requires 1 hour of microwave run time.
According to reporting from Futurism:
“Experts are warning that we’re rolling out generative AI tools without a full grasp of their true environmental impacts.”
The demand for electricity to power artificial intelligence is becoming a national concern. Caroline Golin, Google’s Global Head of Energy Market Development, stated during a Nuclear Energy Institute conference in New York:
“We are in a capacity crisis in this country right now, and we are in an AI race against China right now.”
This growing energy demand is beginning to reshape communities across the country, including here in Port Arthur.
What This Looks Like Locally
Recently, Governor Greg Abbott and Entergy announced plans for a new gas-powered facility in Port Arthur. That raises an important question:
Why would our region need another major power plant if the permanent population has not significantly increased?
To answer that question, we need to follow the trail of proposed industrial projects tied to artificial intelligence and data infrastructure.
In a Houston Chronicle article titled “Enormous Floating Solar Power Plant Planned for Gulf Coast,” the proposed Pleasure Island Power Collective was described as follows:
“Known as the Pleasure Island Power Collective, the project is also slated to include a 225-megawatt onshore wind farm, a ‘utility-scale’ battery storage system, and an AI data center entirely powered by the energy generated on site.”
The project is being spearheaded by Diligence Offshore Services in partnership with AccuSolar.
At first glance, the proposal sounds appealing. However, computers inside data centers must remain powered continuously, every second of every day. Wind and solar power are intermittent by nature, meaning they do not consistently produce energy around the clock. So what does Diligence Offshore Services say about the project’s power needs?
According to the company’s website:
“At the heart of the project, PIPC (Pleasure Island Power Collective) combines high-efficiency wind turbines, expansive FPV solar arrays, and an 8-hour Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to ensure around-the-clock, carbon-free energy delivery. The generated power is dedicated to fueling the D.A.I. Nexus Data Center—a Tier IV, Adaptive Intelligence facility designed to anchor regional innovation, national security computing, and next-generation digital infrastructure.”
Based on the company’s own descriptions, the project would rely on:
A 225-megawatt wind farm
A 391-megawatt floating solar installation
An 8-hour, 1,200 MWh battery storage system
That is essentially three massive industrial projects being built to support one data center. Together, the wind and solar projects could theoretically generate approximately 616 megawatts of electricity under ideal conditions. However, an important question remains:
Will that truly be enough to continuously power a large AI data center?
The Entergy Connection
According to a Port Arthur News article quoting Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce President Joe Tant:
“The data center is a $1.3 billion project. Phase I-III of the project can start after the new Entergy power plant will be built in Port Arthur.”
This statement is significant. If the data center were truly capable of operating entirely on renewable energy generated onsite, why would multiple phases depend on the construction of a new gas-fired Entergy power plant? The answer appears to be that renewable energy alone may not be enough to support the facility’s full electrical demand.
That means local residents would ultimately see:
A massive battery storage system specifically for data center use
Additional gas-fired power generation
Expanded transmission infrastructure
Increased industrial traffic and construction
Increased traffic
Road damage from heavy equipment
Additional air pollution
Higher electricity demand
Expanded industrialization of the area
All of this would transpire to support a single AI data center.
We should be asking an important question:
Where is the long-term benefit to the community?
How Large Would the Facility Be?
According to Port Arthur News:
“Tant said the data center project needs 42 acres to be built. Additionally, he said he knows of 100 acres available at the Port Arthur Business Park on West Port Arthur Road.”
Meanwhile, Diligence Offshore Services states that the proposed facility could total approximately 850,000 square feet. For comparison, a typical Walmart Supercenter averages around 180,000 square feet. That means this proposed data center could be nearly four times the size of a Walmart.
Now imagine a building that size filled with thousands of computers and electronic systems operating nonstop, every hour of every day.
The next question becomes:
How do you cool something that large?
Cooling a Giant Computer
Data centers generate enormous amounts of heat. To prevent overheating, operators must constantly cool the equipment.
The two most common cooling methods are:
Air-cooled systems use massive industrial HVAC units, often called Computer Room Air Handlers (CRAHs), which operate continuously to maintain optimal temperatures.
Liquid cooling is the most prevalent form of cooling, especially for AI systems that require high-performance computing. In many cases, the liquid used is treated drinking water. This raises another concern for Port Arthur residents.
Corpus Christi, a city of approximately 300,000 residents, is facing a severe water shortages linked to rapid industrial expansion and increasing industrial demand. It will become the first city in the United States to run out of water within months. Residents have been asked to reduce water use while large industrial operations continue consuming massive quantities daily. Currently, there are no plans in place or actions being taken through local or state government to rectify this problem
Large data centers can consume between 300,000 and 500,000 gallons of water per day. Some of the world’s largest facilities consume between 1 million and 5 million gallons daily — comparable to the water usage of entire towns.
In addition, water used in cooling systems can become contaminated with:
Heavy metals
Corrosion inhibitors
Biocides
This raises serious questions for Port Arthur. In a city already dealing with aging infrastructure, frequent water main breaks, and growing industrial demand, can the local water system handle another major industrial user?
And once again:
Where is the benefit to residents who would bear the impacts?
The Heat Island Effect
Research has shown that large industrial and data infrastructure can contribute to what is known as the “heat island effect.”
One study found that temperatures near some data centers rose significantly above long-term averages. In extreme cases, temperatures were measured as much as 16 degrees Fahrenheit above historical norms. Other cases showed increases averaging approximately 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit across several miles.
For Southeast Texas residents already enduring extreme summer heat, even a small increase in local temperatures matters.
Higher temperatures can lead to:
Increased electricity bills
Greater strain on household air conditioning systems
Higher energy consumption overall
More stress on vulnerable populations during extreme heat events
Noise Pollution and Quality of Life
The impacts would not end with power usage and heat. Data centers rely on thousands of cooling fans, industrial ventilation systems, backup generators, and cooling towers that operate continuously. Residents near data centers in other parts of the country have already raised concerns about constant industrial noise.
According to reports from Brittany Heights in Chandler, Arizona:
“Residents living around the data center complained of a constant humming noise coming from the facility that never stopped, even at night.”
Residents reportedly attempted to block the sound with earplugs and noise-canceling headphones, but complaints continued.
Studies have shown that long-term exposure to noise pollution can contribute to:
Elevated stress levels
Increased blood pressure
Sleep disruption
Reduced cognitive performance
Poorer school and work performance
These concerns deserve serious consideration before large-scale industrial infrastructure is approved near residential communities.
The Promise of Jobs
Supporters of industrial projects often focus heavily on the promise of “jobs.” In today’s economic climate, politicians and developers frequently use job creation to justify tax incentives and public support. But how many permanent jobs would this project actually create?
According to Port Arthur News:
“Twenty-two permanent jobs and 225 construction jobs will be created.”
Construction jobs are temporary by nature. While temporary work can provide short-term economic activity, it does not necessarily create lasting economic stability for a city. Long-term economic growth comes from permanent jobs that allow residents to build wealth, support local businesses, and reinvest in their communities.
This raises another important question:
Should a project costing approximately $1.3 billion, along with the associated environmental and infrastructure impacts, be considered a fair trade for only 22 permanent jobs?
Final Thoughts
The people of Port Arthur have spent generations sacrificing their air, water, land, and health in the name of “economic development.” Yet once again, our predominantly Black and Brown communities are being asked to shoulder the burden of another wave of industrial expansion while receiving little in return.
These projects are always marketed as opportunities that will “benefit the community,” but the community itself is rarely meaningfully involved in the decision-making process. Instead, residents are expected to accept the pollution, the noise, the traffic, the strain on infrastructure, and the risks to public health while corporations receive tax breaks, public support, and billions in investment.
At what point is enough, enough?
How many more power plants, pipelines, industrial facilities, and massive infrastructure projects must our neighborhoods absorb before the people living here are prioritized over corporate expansion?
We are constantly told these projects are necessary for “progress,” but progress for who?
A $1.3 billion project that could permanently reshape our region is projected to create only a handful of permanent jobs, while local residents are left to deal with the long-term consequences. Clean air, safe drinking water, peace and quiet, public health, and quality of life should not be treated as acceptable sacrifices for industrial growth.
The continued rubber-stamping of massive industrial projects without meaningful community involvement must come to an end.
Residents deserve transparency, accountability, environmental protections, and a genuine voice in decisions that affect their future.
Because the real question is no longer what industry still wants from Port Arthur.
The question is: what else are we expected to give up in the name of industrial expansion?
Prepared By:
John Beard III
Assistant Executive Director / Project Coordinator
Port Arthur Community Action Network
Information sources:
https://futurism.com/future-society/ai-power-usage-text-to-video-generator
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2509.19222
https://www.diligenceoffshore.com/pipc
https://natureforward.org/data-centers-and-water-use/
https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/climate/data-centers-are-having-an-underrported
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/403073048_The_data_heat_island_effect_quantifying_the_impact_of_AI_data_centers_in_a_warming_world
https://panews.com/2026/01/16/business-leaders-discuss-workforce-power-needs-for-port-arthur-ai-data-center/
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