Bastrop County commissioners voted Tuesday, Oct. 13, to ask Texas environmental regulators to hold a public meeting about a proposed natural gas-fired power plant in Cedar Creek, citing residents’ limited opportunities to weigh in on the project. The resolution asks the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to arrange a meeting before deciding on Pacifico Energy’s permit application. Commissioners did not vote on whether the plant should be approved. The California-based energy infrastructure company has proposed a facility capable of generating about 1,300 megawatts of electricity to serve a planned data center campus. The application is moving through TCEQ’s standard permit registration process. Cedar Creek resident Cameron Allen said community members have not had a public meeting and have relied on public-records requests and information gathered from county and state sources. “We’re largely working based on what we’ve been given through public information requests and other means of getting information through the county and the state,” Allen said. The county’s resolution says residents should be able to examine technical information, question regulators and submit comments directly. It points to potential effects on the environment, air quality, public infrastructure, safety and quality of life. The proposal is also part of a wider state review of data center growth. On Sept. 21, Gov. Greg Abbott directed TCEQ to pause permits connected to data center projects while state agencies assess possible effects on the electric grid, water supplies and other infrastructure. Abbott asked the agency to report on its compliance with the order by Oct. 19.