Greater Edwards Aquifer Authority report sounds the alarm over proposed data centers in Texas

The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA), a nonprofit focused on protecting Texas's aquifers and natural resources, has released a report sounding an alarm over the proliferation of proposed AI data centers across the state. Rachel Hanes, policy director for GEAA, warns that without prompt action, Texas faces severe impacts on its water and energy supplies, public health, and local government budgets. The report provides a comprehensive overview of data center operations, growth, and environmental impacts. It reviews national and international strategies for addressing data center challenges and outlines a series of recommendations. These include urging local governments, regional entities, and utilities to adopt policies that establish "guardrails" against adverse data center impacts. Specific policy suggestions involve improving data collection and planning, fairly allocating costs, expanding local regulatory tools, limiting incompatible land uses, enhancing transparency, and restricting detrimental energy and water consumption, as well as pollution. Additionally, the GEAA report advises data center operators to implement measures to reduce potable water use, lessen demand on local water sources, and decrease reliance on fossil-fuel energy generation. Hanes emphasized the need for a holistic view of the industry to prepare the state for future high-growth, high-impact developments. She also noted that current state agencies are ill-equipped to handle the incoming wave of AI data centers, which could have significant consequences for Texas's natural resources and communities.