San Antonio Weighs Data Center Rules Over Water, Noise Concerns
San Antonio's City Council is considering regulations for data centers due to concerns over water consumption and noise, with Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones open to water-efficient technology requirements but not yet a moratorium. The debate is also active in New Braunfels, where Mayor Michael French opposes data centers, and is a topic in the Texas US Senate race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico.
The San Antonio City Council is currently debating potential regulations for the burgeoning data center industry, prompted by concerns over water consumption and noise. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, while not yet endorsing a full moratorium, has expressed interest in mandating water-efficient technologies for new data centers, suggesting a preference for "closed loop cooling systems" or "waterless technologies." A follow-up discussion on these potential requirements is anticipated by October.
Meanwhile, the discussion has broadened across Texas. In New Braunfels, Mayor Michael French has publicly stated his opposition to any data center facilities within city limits. He attributes his stance to the industry's "disproportionate resource consumption" which he believes does not align with the traditional commercial tax or employment returns for the city. Mayor French is seeking a partnership with Comal County, which previously passed a resolution calling for research into the environmental and resource impacts of data centers.
The topic of AI data centers has also emerged as a key issue in the US Senate race in Texas. Candidate Ken Paxton proposes banning Chinese technology, holding operators criminally liable for AI chatbot threats to children, and repealing sales tax exemptions for the industry. This plan has drawn criticism from Democratic State Representative James Talarico, who highlighted Paxton's previous vote in favor of billions in tax breaks for the industry in 2013.