Austin County Data Center Town Hall Draws Impressive Crowd
Approximately 250 Austin County residents attended a town hall meeting hosted by CleanSpark in Millheim to address concerns about its planned data center project. The meeting followed Austin County commissioners' adoption of a temporary moratorium on new data center and battery energy storage system (BESS) development while officials consider new regulations. CleanSpark representatives discussed various aspects of the project, including sound, water, lighting, infrastructure, and community impacts.
CleanSpark hosted a town hall meeting in Millheim, Austin County, Texas, which drew approximately 250 residents concerned about the company's planned data center development. The meeting, held on August 14 at Millheim Harmonie Verein Hall, provided an opportunity for residents to speak one-on-one with CleanSpark representatives about various aspects of the project, including its potential impacts on sound, water, lighting, and infrastructure.
CleanSpark Chief Business Officer Harry Sudock stated the company's goal was to "dispell misunderstandings" about the project. This event took place amid ongoing discussions in Austin County regarding large-scale data centers and battery energy storage systems. Prior to the town hall, on July 29, Austin County commissioners had enacted a temporary moratorium on new data center and BESS development.
County Judge Tim Lapham clarified that the moratorium aimed to establish safeguards for future developers, extending beyond CleanSpark's specific project. CleanSpark has already acquired a 271-acre site in Austin County and has previously informed commissioners of its plans for a closed-loop cooling system to minimize water usage and measures to mitigate noise and light pollution.