League City Requires Permits for New Data Centers
League City approved an ordinance requiring every proposed data center to obtain a special use permit and undergo City Council review before construction. The measure was intended to ensure public review, though Council member Tom Crews opposed it because it did not establish specific standards for water use and noise.
League City officials approved an ordinance requiring proposed data centers to receive a special use permit before construction. The City Council voted 7-1 on the measure after the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended it; Mayor Nick Long said the change closes a gap in the former development code that could have allowed some projects to proceed without a public hearing.
Council member Tom Crews cast the dissenting vote, arguing that the ordinance should include standards addressing potential water use and noise impacts. Other council members favored case-by-case review, saying detailed requirements could become a checklist for developers and might not account for changing technology. The action comes amid rapid data-center growth across Texas and broader concerns about electricity demand, water supplies and environmental permitting, but it does not impose specific operating limits on future League City facilities.