Microsoft Corp.’s Texas Research Park data center is seen in this file 2020 photo. Data centers are here, and the issues they bring are a challenge we must meet, but they cannot come at Texans’ expense, our guest columnist writes.
San Antonio Express-News file photo
A data center is seen under construction along Lambda Drive near Omicron Drive in this 2023 file photo. The far West Side was an early magnet for such development in San Antonio. Data centers built today, however, aren’t like ones from a decade ago. There’s been an exponential increase in the need for processing power with artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and other massive technological advances, our guest columnist writes.
San Antonio Express-News file photo
If you’re like me and you read this newspaper most mornings, you’ve seen a lot of front-page articles about data centers. Each new report leaves me with more questions than answers about what this means for our water supply and electric grid, not to mention our infrastructure and land use.
When state lawmakers head to Austin in January for the next legislative session, we have to carefully consider how we are going to balance all these demands to make sure everyday Texans aren’t footing the bill.
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More than 10 years ago, Texas began offering a tax break to attract new data centers to Texas. At the time, state leaders believed data centers might be the next chapter of the Texas Miracle, bringing jobs, growth and prosperity.
Data centers built today, however, aren’t like ones from a decade ago.
There’s been an exponential increase in the need for processing power with artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and all the massive technological advances that put the AOL days of the internet to shame. That increase requires more and more energy, water and infrastructure.
EDITORIAL: Data centers must be open about water use if they want public OK
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When communities have to compete for their basic resources, that Texas Miracle starts to look like a Texas Mirage.
The San Antonio Water System says that in 2024, two data centers in San Antonio consumed hundreds of millions of gallons of water, while the rest of us were asked to conserve.
Sometimes when we have a solution that sounds good, we also have unintended consequences.
For example, more and more data centers are building their own power plants, but the increase in emissions could lead to devastating health and environmental impacts.
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Texas already suffers from high rates of chronic respiratory disease, receiving an “F” rating from the American Lung Association.
We all remember the disastrous winter storm of February 2021, and what happens when we don’t have the foresight to protect our resources and infrastructure. We have to take these examples seriously and pay attention to the lessons they can teach us.
AI is transforming the way we live, and so we need to take a hard look at the way we plan for our state’s future. We’ve gotten used to the model for growth we have in Texas: Offer tax incentives for developments that commit to investing in their communities.
But data centers aren’t like a Toyota plant. They operate differently, they need more resources, and their workforce is unique.
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Likewise, we plan infrastructure based on dated assumptions about demand for resources. Together, we need to take a hard look at the policies that we’ve built our economy and infrastructure around.
ALSO READ: Texas Data Center Tracker — See where data centers are planned or operating near you
In the absence of state-level action, some cities have turned to their zoning power to restrict or outright ban new data centers. Counties don’t have the same authority.
San Marcos has become the first city to ban data centers, while Hood County was sued twice over the moratorium it attempted to enact, though its residents were advocating for the same thing. County governments have to be able to do their job and represent their communities.
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Make no mistake, data centers are here, and the issues they bring are a challenge we must meet, but it cannot come at Texans’ expense. If we can figure out how to work through this, we will be part of advancing our state — not only in the way we use technology but also in the way we adapt to protect our people and resources.
I am stepping up to give San Antonio a voice at the table, and I intend to get answers to these questions. I ask you to stay engaged on this issue: Go to town halls, follow the news on data centers, and let me know what questions you have as we find the answers together.
State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, a Democrat, represents Texas House District 116, which includes portions of San Antonio’s West and Northwest sides.
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