El Paso Residents Voice Concerns Over Rapid Rise of Data Centers in Borderland region
El Paso residents are expressing significant concerns about the proliferation of data centers, citing issues with water and electricity consumption. In response, the City Council voted to end incentives for data centers and is developing a comprehensive policy framework to guide future developments. This comes despite an existing, legally binding agreement with Meta for its El Paso data center project.
El Paso residents, including community members, high school students, and environmental advocates, have initiated a significant public outcry against the proliferation of hyperscale data centers in the region, citing grave concerns over local water resources, electricity demand, land use, and potential environmental impacts. This public pressure led the El Paso City Council to unanimously vote on May 26th to discontinue economic incentives for data centers, acknowledging that such projects, while generating revenue, may not align with the city's long-term interests.
The public's growing alarm follows the rapid development of three large data centers, including a Meta facility in El Paso and an Army project at Fort Bliss, with a third planned in nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Despite the city's legal obligation to Meta under a 2023 agreement, which includes an estimated $550 million property tax rebate for a $800 million investment and hundreds of jobs, representatives Josh Acevedo and Lily Limon are pushing for the cancellation of Meta's contract due to environmental and community concerns.
In response to widespread feedback from community meetings, the city is currently drafting a 33-page Data Center Policy Framework, inviting public comment until June 9th. This framework aims to guide future data center locations and address issues like water consumption, utility rates, and environmental effects. Meta, for its part, states its commitment to water stewardship and achieving water positive status by 2030, planning to restore 200% of consumed water locally and use efficient closed-loop cooling systems. The company also claims to cover full energy costs and invest in grid infrastructure.
Meanwhile, similar debates are unfolding across Texas, with Hill County commissioners having enacted and then rescinded a temporary moratorium on data center construction following a federal lawsuit from developer RCM Hill, LLC. Environmental advocate Erin Brockovich has also launched a map to track data center projects and community opposition nationwide. El Paso residents, many new to civic engagement, continue to advocate for greater transparency and community input on these developments.