Eight data centers threaten to transform this small Texas county. Local officials say they have no power to stop them.
Read full article: Eight data centers threaten to transform this small Texas county. Local officials say they have no power to stop them.At least 248 data centers are planned to be built in Texas. Of those, nearly half will be built in unincorporated areas, where county officials are limited in their ability to regulate development, according to a Texas Tribune analysis.
A Texas town hopes a new data center will pay to fix its cracked streets and leaking pipes
Read full article: A Texas town hopes a new data center will pay to fix its cracked streets and leaking pipesLacy Lakeview, a Waco suburb, said it is considering a data center project in efforts to boost their spending power to repair aging roads.
Lacy Lakeview needs Waco’s help to realize its data center dreams. It’s not going well.
Read full article: Lacy Lakeview needs Waco’s help to realize its data center dreams. It’s not going well.Lacy Lakeview’s hasty approach to the data center project has alienated the Waco officials who would control water service to the site. “Without the City of Waco agreeing to it, Lacy Lakeview can’t do anything out there and neither can Infrakey," State Rep. Pat Curry said. "Those guys don’t know what the hell they’re doing.”
Texas Republicans have a data center problem
Read full article: Texas Republicans have a data center problemData center construction is unpopular among locals, and a majority of the facilities are being proposed in red, rural counties. That puts Texas Republicans in a tough spot, as the White House has encouraged states to let the centers flourish.
Texas grid operator forecasts massive growth in demand, but says data is likely flawed
Read full article: Texas grid operator forecasts massive growth in demand, but says data is likely flawedThe Electric Reliability Council of Texas reported that peak energy demand could quadruple by 2032, but cautioned that its estimate is likely too high and must be revised.
Texas Senate candidate says “no strings attached” to $2 million donation from businessman
Read full article: Texas Senate candidate says “no strings attached” to $2 million donation from businessmanRhonda Ward, a first-time candidate for elected office who previously served on the state GOP’s policy committee, is challenging Trent Ashby for the East Texas seat.
Texans are demanding their local governments push pause on data centers. Can they?
Read full article: Texans are demanding their local governments push pause on data centers. Can they?Texans from Waco to Harlingen are raising concerns over how much energy and water data centers are poised to use. Local officials, some enticed by a tax boon, say they have little power to stop the rush.
A Texas county rejects a moratorium on data center development amid AI boom
Read full article: A Texas county rejects a moratorium on data center development amid AI boomThe 3-2 vote from Hood County commissioners Tuesday came after they received a letter from a state senator saying they did not have the power to issue a moratorium.
El Paso’s plan to build natural gas power plant for massive data center kicks up opposition
Read full article: El Paso’s plan to build natural gas power plant for massive data center kicks up oppositionMeta’s planned data center could be El Paso’s biggest electricity user. Some residents worry that a new power plant to run it would worsen air pollution and guzzle water.
Texas forecast to be top market for data centers in two years, increasing grid demand
Read full article: Texas forecast to be top market for data centers in two years, increasing grid demandAs artificial intelligence pushes demand for more data centers, companies are drawn to the state’s relatively inexpensive land and natural gas that can run on-site power plants.
As data centers jostle to get on Texas’ grid, ERCOT promises new rules for planning
Read full article: As data centers jostle to get on Texas’ grid, ERCOT promises new rules for planningERCOT is making a first attempt at a planning process in which multiple requests will be considered simultaneously.
Proposed data center project for Waco area would be “paradigm-changer”
Read full article: Proposed data center project for Waco area would be “paradigm-changer”The project is at a scale of industrial development and investment unmatched in McLennan County’s history: acres of computer hardware, substations and a 1.2-gigawatt gas-fired plant capable of powering about 300,000 homes.
Google to build three new data centers in Texas in $40 billion investment
Read full article: Google to build three new data centers in Texas in $40 billion investmentThe announcement by Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai is the latest multi-billion dollar investment in Texas by tech companies racing to build infrastructure that can support advanced artificial intelligence.