TCU Ralph Lowe Energy Institute executive director Nikki Morris and journalist and Concept Elemental founder Jennifer Warren joined Islam as panelists. They each answered questions about data center demand, the state\u2019s economy, the electric grid, and pushback from residents and local governments as interest in the topic booms in North Texas<\/a>.<\/p>\n Texas houses 26 gigawatts of existing and under-construction data center power capacity, according to a report from Fort Worth Inc<\/a>.<\/p>\n Morris referred to this power demand as \u201cin the queue\u201d \u2014 projects pending connection to the state\u2019s electric grid. She said those numbers are tentative.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUnder half of those projects will ever be connected,\u201d Morris said. \u201cThey\u2019re not going to be connected tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n While a pause is needed to assess those demands, Morris reassured attendees that Texas is successful when it comes to providing substantial infrastructure, energy sources and land to meet those demands.<\/p>\n Warren said the data center audit issued by Gov. Greg Abbott<\/a> will also help thin out the queue to be served by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas \u2014 the agency that oversees the electric grid, which encompasses 90% of the state.<\/p>\n Later, Islam explained the relationship between data centers and their need for resources, and how this can lead to misinformation.<\/p>\n Some developers have publicly stated that their facilities consume very little water, Islam said. However, they do not always define what that consumption looks like.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, an efficient data center can consume significantly less resources than others. However, during the summer, even a water-efficient data center could place additional pressure on resources due to an increase of demand during that time period, Islam added. This is because people are consuming more water during the summer, piling on demand to already-strained supplies.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is actually a great opportunity for the community and the industry to work together to find best solutions,\u201d Islam said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Industries, including data centers, are exploring \u201cproduced water\u201d to cool their facilities more sustainably. Produced water<\/a> is a product of oil and gas fracking, according to the American Geosciences Institute. Water is pulled and brought to the surface when oil and gas are extracted from rock materials.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have limited surface water,\u201d Morris said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to take our potable water for some other uses.\u201d<\/p>\n Produced water is the largest waste stream from the oil and gas industry and is highly regulated because it is considered toxic material<\/a>. Morris wants to see how it can be turned into a larger resource for industrial operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Warren pivoted the conversation by stating there are good data center developers and operators. She cited a Dallas-area data center built by Digital Realty in 2004 as an example.<\/p>\n The site has not garnered complaints about noise and has been a good neighbor to the surrounding community, Warren said, adding that clean operations and consideration of the public need to remain as the data center boom unfolds.<\/p>\n \u201cThe facilities have to be really well built,\u201d Warren said, describing high-performing equipment that make up data centers, such as computer chips.\u00a0<\/p>\n She said developers are aligned with sustainability because of their desire to reduce costs in power, water and land use.\u00a0<\/p>\n Warren pointed to Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta as hyperscalers that are looking to more sustainable practices, such as clean energy. However, the demand in natural gas remains as industries need what Warren described as \u201cfirm power.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere is this big push to be more efficient and get more performance out of existing assets\u201d Warren said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The full discussion of the Aug. 20 event can be viewed at the Fort Worth Report\u2019s event website<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Report\u2019s environment coverage is supported by the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"(Christine](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20260820_DataCentersinFW-1-1024x683.jpg\")
TCU Ralph Lowe Energy institute executive director Nikki Morris shows a packet of slides generated with AI during the Fort Worth Report\u2019s Informed Discussion: Data Centers in Fort Worth on Aug. 20, 2026, at Texas Wesleyan University. (Christine Vo | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n![\"(Christine](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20260820_DataCentersinFW-5-1024x683.jpg\")
Journalist and Concept Elemental founder Jennifer Warren speaks during the Fort Worth Report\u2019s Informed Discussion: Data Centers in Fort Worth on Aug. 20, 2026, at Texas Wesleyan University. (Christine Vo | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n