Data centers in Tarrant among those being probed as Texas AG demands water usage response
The Texas Attorney General's office is investigating data centers in 18 counties, including Tarrant, for failing to report water usage as required by state law. Governor Greg Abbott has also ordered the Texas Water Development Board to crack down on major water users and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to halt new data center permits until an audit is completed. This comes amid growing concerns from residents about the transparency and environmental impact of booming data center development.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into data centers across 18 counties, including Tarrant, for their failure to comply with state law requiring annual water usage reporting to the Texas Water Development Board. The probe targets facilities using over 10 million gallons of water annually, and non-compliant entities risk losing eligibility for state financial assistance and water rights permits.
This action follows Governor Greg Abbott's recent directive to state agencies to intensify enforcement against major water users, including data centers, that do not report consumption. Governor Abbott also ordered the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to cease issuing new data center permits pending a comprehensive audit. This audit will examine planned data centers' tax exemptions, power and water usage, cooling methods, ownership, and local community impact mitigation strategies.
While specific Tarrant County data centers under investigation were not named, facilities by Black Mountain, Edged Data Centers, and Circle T are noted as being planned or in development in the area. Existing data centers like those operated by QTS and Meta in Fort Worth have been identified in past surveys as among the state's largest water users. The state's push for compliance comes amidst increasing resident advocacy and concern over the transparency and environmental impact, particularly regarding water and electricity consumption, of the rapidly expanding data center industry in Texas.