Data center profile · Hood and Somervell county line near Tolar and Glen Rose, Texas

Comanche Circle (Sailfish Investors)

Sailfish Investors' proposed gas-powered AI campus on 2,100-plus acres near Glen Rose, Texas, lost its power plant (June 2026) and a county permit appeal (Oct.).

Appeal denied, headed to court. On Oct. 13, 2026 Hood County rejected Sailfish's settlement offer 3-1 and denied its permit appeal 4-0; both sides head to court. NRG withdrew the gas plant's air permit application in June 2026. No replacement power or tenant on record.
~1.1 GW
data capacity in the 721-acre concept plan
developer estimate at a Nov. 2025 county workshop
2,100+ acres
developer's full plan, 45 buildings
300,000 sq ft each (developer says)
1,200 MW
dedicated gas plant whose air permit was withdrawn
NRG pulled the application June 2026
4-0
county vote denying the permit appeal
Oct. 13, 2026; settlement rejected 3-1
OperatorSailfish Investors (developer; managing partner Ryan Hughes)
CustomerNone named; developer markets to AI computing demand
Planned IT capacity880 MW at full build-out (our estimate from the company's 1.1 GW campus power figure)
Next stepCourt fight: the developer said after the Oct. 13 votes that the parties were going to court (no case filed on record)
Permits

Permits checklist

1 contested · 1 denied · 1 withdrawn · 1 checked, nothing on file

Approvals the campus needs, and where each stands.

Risks

Why it stopped, what could revive it

Power

Power and the grid

Sources on record, size not disclosed
Not used, not on record, or dropped

Getting on the grid

Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
  1. Nov. 6, 2025
    Site Developer presents a 721-acre concept to a county workshop: about 1.1 GW of data capacity and a 1.2 GW gas plant News report · Nov. 2025
  2. Dec. 3, 2025
    Permits Sailfish says it submitted a complete application to the county News report · Jan. 2026
  3. Jan. 29, 2026
    Permits Motion to withdraw the conditional concept approval fails 3-2 News report · Jan. 2026
  4. Feb. 2026
    Permits County votes 3-2 against a six-month data-center moratorium News report · Feb. 2026
  5. June 23, 2026
    Power NRG withdraws the air permit application for the dedicated gas plant after 11,000+ comments News report · June 2026
  6. Aug. 11, 2026
    Site Sailfish describes 45 buildings on more than 2,100 acres Company · Aug. 2026
  7. Aug. 12, 2026
    Legal Opponents fund an endangered-species survey and plan a lawsuit (press) News report · Aug. 2026
  8. Sept. 21, 2026
    Permits Governor directs the state air regulator to suspend data-center permits News report · Sept. 2026
  9. Oct. 13, 2026
    Permits County rejects the settlement offer 3-1 and denies the permit appeal 4-0 News report · Oct. 2026
The buildings

Specs

721 acres
concept plan presented to the county, Nov. 2025 (press)
News report · Nov. 2025
45 buildings
300,000 sq ft each on 2,100+ acres (developer says)
Company · Aug. 2026
~1,375 acres
Hood County footprint in the rejected settlement, down from about 2,523
News report · Oct. 2026
500-foot setbacks
with closed-loop cooling and down-angled lighting, offered in the settlement
News report · Oct. 2026
Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Developer
  • Sailfish Investors: developer, founded in 2023
  • Ryan Hughes: managing partner
Power
  • NRG: former partner for the dedicated gas plant; withdrew its air permit application
Government
  • Hood County Commissioners Court: county approvals
  • Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: air permits
  • Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District: well permits
Opponents
  • Protect the Paluxy Valley: organized the comment campaign and species survey
Still unknown

Open questions

Where this comes from

43 records from 13 documents

Drawn from news reports, company statements and local government records, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.

News report 11Company 1Local government 1
Evidence

Every quote behind this page

Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.

Power (4)
  • Developer design claims: 45 buildings of 300,000 sq ft each on >2,100 acres; privately funded on-site gas generation, closed-loop cooling, excess power to the grid subject to ERCOT approvals; only four residences adjacen
    “The project is advancing privately funded onsite natural gas generation designed to materially reduce its net draw from the ERCOT grid”
    Company · Aug. 2026 · grade B
  • TCEQ issued a preliminary decision to approve its 1.2 GW air permit in Oct 2026; Do not confuse with the withdrawn Tolar application for this campus.
    “residents received letters from TCEQ evidencing TCEQ's preliminary decision to approve an air permit for NRG Prairie Energy Center LLC's 1.2 GW power plant”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • After the Tolar withdrawal, Protect the Paluxy Valley states the Comanche Circle data center development itself is still moving forward; Sailfish has announced no replacement dedicated power source. Related Sailfish prop
    “Protect the Paluxy Valley Inc. emphasizes that the broader Comanche Circle data center development is still moving forward”
    News report · June 2026 · grade C
  • Stated campus size: 1,100 MW
    “Data capacity (developer estimate): ~1.1 gigawatts; power plant: ~1.2 gigawatts on ~80 acres.”
    News report · Nov. 2025 · grade C
Permits and government (10)
  • Project status: at risk permit appeal denied
    “In a decisive blow to proposed data center developments in Hood County, commissioners voted Tuesday, Oct. 13, to deny both a settlement offer and a permit appeal submitted by developer Ryan Hughes and Sailfish Investors”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • Hood County Commissioners Court:
    “The Commissioners Court voted 3-1 to reject the settlement offer, with Precinct 1 Commissioner Kevin Andrews voting against the motion to reject it. In a separate vote, the court denied Sailfish Investors' permit appeal 4-0.”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • Any replacement on-site power plan for Comanche Circle will need TCEQ air permits, whose issuance the Governor's Sep 21, 2026 directive suspends pending the ERCOT audit.
    “on September 21, 2026, Governor Abbott issued a letter instructing the TCEQ to suspend the issuance of all permits sought by data centers (or related to data center projects)”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • NRG withdrew its TCEQ air permit application for the on-site Tolar power plant in June 2026; Sailfish has no announced replacement power provider and the concept plan approval is valid for two years
    “The data center plan concept as approved by Hood County is valid for two years, suggesting he may be able to proceed if he lines up a new power provider.”
    News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
  • Organised opposition (Protect the Paluxy Valley) mobilised 11,000+ TCEQ comments on the NRG permit and is funding an endangered-species (golden-cheeked warbler) survey and a planned lawsuit
    “Next up, said group co-founder Laura Crawford, is a lawsuit they are funding that will seek to stop the development for endangering the species.”
    News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
  • NRG withdrew its TCEQ air permit application for the 1,200 MW Tolar natural gas : air permit application withdrawn by applicant (NRG, Tolar plant)
    “The 1,200-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant was intended to provide dedicated power generation for Sailfish Investors' controversial 2,100-acre Comanche Circle data center project”
    News report · June 2026 · grade C
  • air permit (prime): Withdrawn (June 23, 2026)
    “The 1,200-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant was intended to provide dedicated power generation for Sailfish Investors' controversial 2,100-acre Comanche Circle data center project.”
    News report · June 2026 · grade C
  • Hood County Commissioners Court:
    “The commissioners ended up voting 3-2 against the six-month moratorium proposal.”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
  • Hood County Commissioners Court (special called meeting):
    “the commission considered withdrawing conditional approval of Sailfish's Comanche Circle but the motion failed 3–2.”
    News report · Jan. 2026 · grade C
  • Hood County Commissioners Court (workshop):
    “No regulatory outcome or formal agreement was made at the workshop; commissioners said they would continue the process with additional workshops and legal review.”
    News report · Nov. 2025 · grade C
Legal (3)
  • Hughes warned the county that rejecting the settlement could result in a $100 million lawsuit and a larger, unmitigated development across the property
    “Hughes warned commissioners that failing to reach an agreement could result in a $100 million lawsuit and lead to a larger, unmitigated development being constructed across the property.”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • Hughes warned rejection could produce a $100 million lawsuit and a larger, less restricted project; after the Oct 13 votes he said the parties were going to court
    “This is actually Sailfish coming to the county with a settlement offer to avoid unnecessary litigation.”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • At the Jan 29, 2026 court, Hughes asserted Sailfish's Dec 3 application was approved by operation of law under the Texas Local Government Code ch. 232 / HB 3167 'shot clock' when the county did not act by Jan 2; a motion
    “He invokes the statutory 'shot clock' (Texas Local Government Code chapter 232 and HB 3167), asserts Sailfish submitted a complete application on Dec. 3”
    News report · Jan. 2026 · grade C
Site and other (5)
  • Sailfish's rejected Oct 2026 settlement offered binding concessions incl. 500-foot setbacks, down-angled lighting and closed-loop cooling, and a reduced Hood County footprint (~1,375 acres vs ~2,523)
    “Hughes presented a settlement proposal offering binding concessions, including 500-foot building setbacks, down-angled lighting, and closed-loop cooling systems.”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • County code: 48221
    “It is planned to occupy more than 2,100 acres on the line dividing Hood and Somervell counties a few miles from Dinosaur Valley State Park.”
    News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
  • County code: 48425
    “It is planned to occupy more than 2,100 acres on the line dividing Hood and Somervell counties a few miles from Dinosaur Valley State Park.”
    News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
  • Organised opposition (Protect the Paluxy / Protect Hood County) is documenting golden-cheeked warblers, an endangered species, near the site, which would complicate development; related Hood County projects (Project Lion
    “Their goal: To find golden-cheeked warblers, an endangered species whose presence would complicate efforts to develop Comanche Circle.”
    News report · Aug. 2026 · grade C
  • Project identity: Comanche Circle - Sailfish Investors' proposed data center campus in southern Hood County, TX near the Somervell County line (Tolar / Granbury area, near the Comanche Peak nuclear plant); a 721-acre con
    “Developer describes Comanche Circle: 721 acres, 1.1 GW data capacity and phased build; residents press for water and noise protections”
    News report · Nov. 2025 · grade C