Protect
Our
Piney Woods
Protect Our PineyWoods
Who Is Responsible?
This page outlines Parliament Energy and the network of related entities behind the proposed industrial solar project in Nacogdoches County.
NACOGDOCHES COUNTY IS UNDER ATTACK BY PRIVATE EQUITY
While a handful of landowners cash out, the rest of the Oldest Town in Texas is being left to live in industrial trash. These massive solar projects are being fast-tracked by private equity firms with zero regard for our neighbors, our ecosystem, or our property values. Since its privately funded - there's no government involvement. They carry on UNCHECKED and UNREGULATED.
THE PERMITTING SCANDAL: Developers are currently working without required county permits. They have bypassed critical hydrology studies and "no-rise" certifications—leaving downstream neighbors defenseless against flooding and land erosion.
THE BESS DECEPTION: They tell us it's "only solar," but state filings with the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and ERCOT show Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are part of the plan. This brings the threat of lithium fires and toxic gas plumes to our backyards.
DRINKING WATER THREAT: One major hail storm, one tornado or even panel degradation can cause toxic chemicals to wash directly into Lake Nacogdoches, the city's primary drinking water source. There are no long term studies. NACOGDOCHES COUNTY is ground zero - we are the experiment.
POISONING THE WELLS: Without available studies, our groundwater is a ticking time bomb. Damaged panels can leak PFAS "forever chemicals," cadmium, and lead into the water table.
Impact & Accountability
This corporate hierarchy summarizes the complex vertical chain of entities and lease ownership structures governing the development and financial backing of the site.
Who is Harold Coulby?
If you check the PUC filings you will see his name as the signor of these agreements. Harold Coulby served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Compute North Holdings Inc.. Under his financial leadership, the company—one of the nation's largest operators of data centers for crypto mining—spiraled into a catastrophic Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2022.
When Compute North filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, it left a trail of financial destruction:
The company owed up to $500 million to at least 200 creditors. In some locations, such as Big Spring, Texas, the company collapsed while owing thousands in unpaid utility bills to the local community. Ultimately, a judge approved a plan to liquidate all remaining assets to cover roughly $140 million in outstanding debt.
The Risk to Nacogdoches County
The parallels between the Compute North failure and the current push for industrial solar in East Texas are alarming:
Compute North’s collapse was triggered when primary lenders halted funding. If the private equity funds backing local solar projects pull out, our county could be left with half-built "ghost sites" and toxic battery storage units that no one is responsible for maintaining or cleaning up.
Just as soaring energy prices crushed Compute North’s margins, the volatile nature of the "green" energy market makes these massive installations a high-risk gamble with our land as the collateral.
The Bottom Line
When the money dries up, these companies vanish into bankruptcy court, leaving local residents to deal with the environmental and economic fallout. We cannot allow our Piney Woods to become the next "failed asset" on a liquidator's spreadsheet.
Transparency is the first line of defense for our community. While developers often hide behind shell companies and "non-disclosure" rhetoric, the truth about who is leasing land for industrial exploitation is a matter of public record. This chart identifies the local entities that have signed away thousands of acres of forests and heritage to billion-dollar private equity funds.