New Braunfels Data Center Rules: Setbacks, Aquifer Ban
New Braunfels officials are considering stricter data center rules, including 500-foot setbacks from homes, a ban in the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, mandatory special-use permits, noise limits and closed-loop cooling. The city has scheduled a Planning Commission hearing and City Council vote, while a proposed moratorium and a nearby CloudBurst Texas project add urgency to the debate.
New Braunfels is drafting an ordinance that would limit data centers to heavy-industrial zones, require City Council special-use permits, impose 500-foot residential setbacks and a 55-decibel noise limit, and prohibit facilities over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. Developers would also need to use closed-loop cooling and obtain proof that local electric and water infrastructure can support their projects.
The New Braunfels Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing Nov. 4, followed by a City Council first reading Nov. 9. Mayor Michael French requested the council discussion, and a data center moratorium has also been proposed. The regulatory effort follows a pre-development request for a proposed facility along FM 1101 and broader concerns about noise, water use and grid capacity.
Nearby, Guadalupe County commissioners voted 3-2 to reject a proposed $500 million property-tax abatement for CloudBurst Texas LLC's planned campus on Francis Harris Lane, citing incomplete environmental information and limited county land-use authority. State officials have separately scrutinized data center permitting, grid interconnection demand and water-use reporting across Texas.