Bexar County is home to at least 30 data centers and counting
Bexar County, including San Antonio, is experiencing a data center boom, with over 30 facilities already built and 23 more planned. This growth has sparked a legal complaint against Vantage and VoltaGrid over air quality permits for their natural gas power plants, alongside broader community and government concerns about environmental impact, infrastructure strain, and the need for new regulations. Local and state officials are actively discussing potential policy changes and zoning amendments to manage future development.
Bexar County, home to San Antonio, is experiencing a significant boom in data center construction, with over 30 facilities already operational and an additional 23 planned. This rapid expansion, particularly along Omicron Drive, includes major investments by companies like CyrusOne and Vantage Data Centers, with projects valued at over $1 billion since 2020.
The proliferation has raised concerns among community members and advocacy groups regarding environmental impacts, infrastructure strain, and economic effects. Public Citizen, Sierra Club, and the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) filed a complaint on July 22 against two San Antonio data centers owned by Vantage, citing the inadequate air quality permits for their accompanying natural gas power plants operated by VoltaGrid. EIP's director of enforcement, Mary Greene, claims these facilities, generating 423 megawatts, are using minor source permits when they require more stringent major source permits, risking increased air pollution from substances like nitrous oxides, volatile organic compounds, and formaldehyde.
Advocates like Deedee Belmares of Public Citizen and Rachel Hanes of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) are pushing for greater transparency in data center development, arguing that residents are often unaware of projects until construction is imminent. GEAA's report recommends state and local governments require transparency, invest in water and energy infrastructure, repeal tax incentives for data centers, charge impact fees, and allow county-level land use governance to address development outside of city zoning laws.
In response to these concerns, the City of San Antonio has convened stakeholders to discuss data center regulation, and Governor Greg Abbott has proposed measures to make data centers financially responsible for public costs. San Antonio City Council members are debating policy changes, including amendments to the Unified Development Code, to address resident concerns without necessarily halting construction. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has advocated for expediting these regulatory updates. Meanwhile, the City of Harlingen has already enacted a 120-day moratorium on data center construction to study their impacts.