Study warns Texas data center growth could threaten decades of air quality gains
A Houston Advanced Research Center study warns that Texas’ rapid data center expansion could reverse decades of air-quality improvements, particularly if facilities use on-site fossil-fuel generation. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has suspended its automated online permit filing system and is requiring physical applications while officials review data center impacts on water, power and permitting.
A new Houston Advanced Research Center study says Texas’ data center boom could increase pollution and undermine decades of air-quality gains. Researchers found that facilities relying on on-site fuel burning could produce two to 10 times more smog-forming nitrogen oxides than facilities powered by the electric grid alongside wind and solar resources. The study calls for cleaner power technologies as data center development accelerates.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has temporarily shut down its automated online permit filing system for data centers. Watchdog groups contend that construction permits were approved despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to pause them while the state reviews data centers’ water and electricity demands. The agency now requires permit applications to be submitted physically so staff can identify data center connections and apply additional oversight.