Lawmakers demand answers on Texas data centers’ water use
Texas state lawmakers are demanding answers regarding the escalating water usage by data centers, as many operators are failing to report their consumption. A meeting of the Texas House Committee on Natural Resources highlighted significant gaps in state tracking and low response rates to official surveys. This lack of transparency is fueling public distrust and making it difficult for the state to manage water resources effectively.
Texas state lawmakers are demanding greater transparency regarding water usage by data centers across the state, citing a significant lack of reporting from many facilities. The Texas House Committee on Natural Resources convened in Austin to address these concerns, hearing testimony from state agencies and industry representatives.
State Representatives Cody Harris (R-District 8), Trent Ashley (R-District 9), and Brad Buckley (R-District 54) expressed frustration over the low response rates to surveys from data center operators, with less than 20% complying with requests from the Texas Water Development Board. The Water Development Board also admitted its inability to track groundwater pumping in over half of Texas counties, where no legal limits exist. Similar issues were highlighted with the Public Utility Commission's voluntary survey, which garnered responses from fewer than a third of the estimated data centers in operation.
While Robert Saddler of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) outlined the agency's role in regulating wastewater discharge, he confirmed that data center permits had not been reopened for additional requirements, unlike other industries. Dan Diorio, Vice President of State Policy for the Data Center Coalition, affirmed the industry's commitment to water efficiency, but lawmakers like Rep. Ashley countered that the low survey response rate severely tarnishes the industry's reputation and raises questions about what companies are attempting to conceal.