EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — Fort Bliss will host a community listening session later this month on a recently announced data center project tied to the Army’s plans for developing artificial intelligence capabilities.
The meeting, open to the public, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Wyndham El Paso Airport Hotel Conference Center. Doors will open at 6 p.m., with opening comments starting at 6:30 p.m.
The community meeting comes after Fort Bliss announced late last month that the Army had reached a conditional agreement to enter into exclusive negotiations with global investment firm Carlyle to build a data center on about 1,384 acres of unused land on Fort Bliss property near Far East El Paso.
Under the Army’s Enhanced Use Lease program, the agreement would finance, construct, operate, and decommission the facility entirely through private capital.
The project is intended to enable the strategic development of AI capabilities in support of national defense interests. The project is also projected to bring an estimated 2,000 jobs and billions of dollars in private investment to the El Paso region, according to the Army.
However, the data center has already been met with opposition as residents in Montana Vista and nearby neighborhoods raised alarms about the proposed data center last month, which they say could bring major impacts to water, air quality, and electricity costs across El Paso.
“If we allow it, the Fort Bliss Data Center will be in our backyard in Montana Vista, Homestead Meadows, and the Rich Beem neighborhood. Make no mistake, though, all of El Paso will be impacted,” said Ralph Carrasco, president of Empowering Area Communities & Households (EACH). “These data centers will consume our region’s water, pollute our shared air, and increase our utility prices down the line.”
According to the Army, the meeting will have leaders and representatives from the Department of the Army, Fort Bliss, and Carlyle, who will provide a brief overview and status update on the project before opening the floor for community feedback.
“We recognize that El Pasoans and members of the wider Borderplex Region have concerns about potential impacts to the community,” said Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss. “We are holding this session to review what we know now about the conditional agreement and proposed data center project, and then we want to hear from you to help inform planning.”
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