During a July 14 press conference hosted by Vikki Goodwin, candidate for Texas lieutenant governor, local elected officials from Hays County spoke about recent governmental votes involving data center development in the region.
The gist
Michelle Cohen, Hays County Precinct 2 commissioner and candidate for Hays County judge, spoke on the Commissioners Court’s June 23 resolution establishing a 180-day emergency water protection review period for high-usage developments, including data centers, and creating a review board to evaluate proposals.
“The rapid rise in demand for data centers across Texas is too much, too fast and too unregulated for Hays County to handle right now,” Cohen said. “These data centers require enormous amounts of water to cool their chips, and we simply don't have enough water to meet their demand and for our residents.”
Hays County is facing prolonged drought conditions and water-use restrictions due to declining aquifer levels and diminishing water availability, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
The Commissioners Court’s resolution began a temporary review period during which the court will not consider any discretionary approvals for high-water-usage industrial projects or data centers, within the county’s legal authority, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
“While we're very aware that counties cannot outright refuse development or have zoning authority, we have an obligation to meet the needs and demands of our residents, and we hear them loud and clear,” Cohen said.
Additionally, the resolution created the Hays County High Water Demand Development Review Board, an advisory board to the court and the Development Services Department, composed of participants with a variety of experience and knowledge on water availability.
“The board doesn't stop development,” Cohen said. “It doesn't create new regulations. It doesn't give the county new permitting authority. Instead, the board gives us something every community deserves before making major decisions about its most precious resources: better information.”
A closer look
San Marcos City Council members Amanda Rodriguez and Alyssa Garza both spoke at the July 14 press conference on the council’s recent decision to prohibit data centers in all city zoning distinctions.
“Just a few weeks ago, we became the first city in Texas to prohibit data centers through our land development code,” Garza said.
A motion to prohibit data centers in all city zoning distinctions was originally made by Rodriguez on April 21 but failed to pass. Council member Lorenzo Gonzalez, who initially voted against the amendment, made a motion to reconsider it at the June 16 meeting,
according to previous Community Impact reporting.
The amendment then passed with four votes in favor and three dissenting. In addition to Gonzalez and Rodriguez, Garza and council member Shane Scott voted in favor of the motion.
“Data centers simply were not the best use of land for our community, and I'm grateful we had the local authority to make that decision,” Garza said. “Every community has different priorities. For San Marcos, protecting our natural resources simply wasn't negotiable.”
Also of note
The local officials speaking at the press conference, along with Goodwin and other Central Texas officials, called for a temporary moratorium on new data center construction until the Legislature could meet to provide environmental infrastructure and economic safeguards, as well as increase local authority to regulate development.
“Nothing should be prioritized over the health of our people, the protection of our environment, and the long-term sustainability of our community,” Rodriguez said. “A moratorium would give state and federal policymakers the time needed to establish clear standards that protect our water resources, our electric grid, our air quality and our local economy before this industry expands even further.”
