City hosting final community meeting on data center policy framework

The City of El Paso conducted its final community meeting tonight to solicit public input as officials develop a data center policy framework. ABC-7's Rishi Oza reported from the Wayne Thornton Community Center, where residents overwhelmingly voiced their opposition to the construction of new data centers in El Paso, citing concerns about artificial intelligence and a perceived lack of transparency. City Representative Josh Acevedo, who was in attendance, expressed support for his constituents, stating that he would not back any further data center proposals for El Paso, even with a framework in place. While the ongoing city meetings did not directly address the existing Meta data center in Northeast El Paso, where construction is significantly advanced, residents questioned how its expansion from an initial $1.5 million to $10 million was approved and its potential impact on future developments. Several community members criticized the timing of these public discussions, suggesting they should have occurred before data center interest emerged in the city. City staff will compile the feedback from these meetings and present it to the City Council. The community will have an additional opportunity to provide input once an initial draft of the framework is prepared.