Overview
- Diode Ventures told Henderson County officials Thursday that it will not pursue the Key Ranch site near Cedar Creek Lake after reviewing the project with residents and state and local leaders.
- Records showed the proposal sought up to 5 million gallons of lake water per day with the option to grow to as much as 20 million gallons per day for cooling and power systems.
- Gov. Greg Abbott said the project failed to meet his June directive requiring water‑efficient cooling, that developers pay grid interconnection costs, and greater protections for nearby communities.
- Local activists and the Save Cedar Creek Lake coalition credited community organizing and county leaders for pressuring the developer, while county officials warned another firm could still try to use the land.
- The withdrawal adds momentum to statewide efforts to require closed‑loop or air‑cooled systems, annual reporting of water and power use, and new legislation expected in the 2027 session to give counties more oversight.