Officials considering pause on data center projects | Texas News Now
Bell County commissioners are currently considering a proposed moratorium on data center projects within the county, following a workshop that gathered public input. This proposal aims to address concerns over local water and energy resources, similar to a recent one-year moratorium enacted by Hill County which has already led to a lawsuit from a data center company. While no action was taken at the meeting, county leaders emphasized the importance of public engagement in the process.
Bell County commissioners are exploring a temporary halt on local data center developments, making it the central topic of a recent workshop. Commissioner Louis Minor proposed the data center moratorium, citing the presence of eight new or proposed data centers in Temple, within Bell County.
The proposed moratorium would pause all data center construction in Bell County, allowing county leaders to gather more public input and study the potential impacts on local resources. This move comes shortly after Hill County commissioners approved a similar one-year moratorium, which subsequently resulted in a data center company filing a lawsuit against those commissioners. Bell County commissioners had previously drafted a resolution in March, committing to safeguard local water and energy resources and outlining potential requirements for data centers, such as tax abatement agreements.
During the workshop, dozens of residents voiced their opinions, with one attendee urging for a six-month moratorium to allow for independent research. Although no immediate action was taken by the Bell County commissioners, they acknowledged that public input is a crucial initial step in their decision-making process.