{"id":1024562,"date":"2026-08-26T04:35:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T04:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1024562\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T04:35:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T04:35:15","slug":"san-antonio-city-council-leans-toward-data-center-regulation-but-a-moratorium-seems-less-likely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1024562\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio city council leans toward data center regulation, but a moratorium seems less likely"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 With data centers springing up around Texas and becoming a major talking point for residents, most San Antonio city council members appear ready to take action.<\/p>\n

The question is, what will it look like?<\/p>\n

Data centers have drawn significant public attention and concern, ranging from their power and water use to potential noise or air quality<\/a> issues.<\/p>\n

A council discussion on Tuesday revolved around two possibilities: a moratorium on new data centers and regulation through the city\u2019s development code, known as the UDC.<\/p>\n

City staff recommended the latter. A building permit moratorium, they said, could only last 90 to 180 days, wouldn\u2019t stop any projects already underway, and would take until at least the end of the year to enact.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s a patch. It\u2019s not gonna fix the problem; it\u2019s gonna slow down the development right now,\u201d Development Services Director Amin Tohmaz told reporters. \u201cCompared to the UDC, if we put some restrictions in the UDC, those are permanent. Those are in our code, and we can control where they\u2019re going to develop the data centers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The city has already held stakeholder meetings about potential code changes, such as limiting data centers to certain commercial or industrial zones, requiring them to be at least 500 feet away from properties like homes or schools, and prohibiting their development over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zones.<\/p>\n

Staff said the potential changes could be ready for council vote by mid-October.<\/p>\n

While several council members said outright they supported the staff\u2019s recommendations for updating the UDC, support for a moratorium seemed to be more varied.<\/p>\n

Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (D2) was one of the most vocal, saying, \u201cWe have a very clear and present moral obligation to take action where we can, and so I\u2019ll be supporting a moratorium, and any option that we move forward with, I think we should.\u201d<\/p>\n

Others were less sure about the potential for a moratorium. Councilwoman Sukh Kaur (D1) said she wanted more data and analysis first, and Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones wanted to know how much more could be done via the UDC first.<\/p>\n

Councilwoman Misty Spears (D9) issued a statement after the meeting directly opposing the idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cSan Antonio has a major economic opportunity in front of us, and a moratorium sends a concerning message,\u201d she said. \u201cWe should work to bring investment and good-paying jobs to our community, not encourage employers to take those opportunities somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the end of the meeting, Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez told council members there appeared to be interest in moving forward with the UDC changes. She did not mention the moratorium, but would not go as far as to say the idea was dead when KSAT asked afterward.<\/p>\n

Council members had asked for additional information, she said, and they might be able to answer some of their questions at a future committee meeting.<\/p>\n

Councilman Ric Galvan (D6) has been one of the driving forces for both discussions: regulation and a moratorium.<\/p>\n

He told KSAT that blocking all future data centers isn\u2019t his goal. But he does want the UDC changes to go further and require council approval for every new project.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy goal would be to make sure that every single data center that\u2019s built in our city has transparent community meetings with the neighbors around them, is clear on what the site\u2019s gonna be developed into \u2014 not only tomorrow, but in the next several decades, so long as they\u2019re there,\u201d he said. \u201dAnd then, of course, bring it to city council with any adjustments made by the residents and by the developer to help address the concerns of the community. And if that works out, then I believe there\u2019s a path forward for them. Otherwise, we shouldn\u2019t have them.\u201d<\/p>\n

>><\/b>Councilman Ric Galvan requests temporary pause on San Antonio data centers<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Concern over data centers has become a flash point in state and national politics.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, the Texas Tribune reported on Gov. Greg Abbott\u2019s announcement of a moratorium<\/a> on the approval of data centers until regulatory agencies can audit proposed data centers seeking connection to the state\u2019s electric grid. <\/p>\n

He also weighed in during an appearance on ABC\u2019s \u201cThis Week,\u201d saying tech companies failed to build support in the communities where they want to operate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey didn\u2019t do their job to get the support of people in local communities,\u201d Abbott said. \u201cGaining the support of people in local communities is essential. They\u2019ve not been working in collaboration with local governments, and so they basically dug their own grave for the problem that\u2019s been caused.\u201d<\/p>\n

City staff also expect \u201csignificant\u201d legislation in the state\u2019s next legislative session. The session opens in January, but bill pre-filing begins in November.<\/p>\n

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