McGregor Addresses Citizen Pushback on Noise and Water Ahead of Massive Land Sale
McGregor, Texas, is evaluating two major data center development proposals, including "Project Merlin" by Galaxy. Local residents have expressed concerns about water usage and noise. City officials are addressing these issues by proposing strict water consumption caps and ensuring private funding for electricity infrastructure.
McGregor, Texas, is evaluating two significant development proposals, including a substantial land sale. The City Council is in closed-door discussions regarding the potential sale of city-owned land for these projects. One initiative, "Project Fidelity," involves a developer acquiring 124 acres at the Ferguson site, with future expansion plans. The other, "Project Merlin," is spearheaded by Galaxy, a data center infrastructure company, which aims to purchase nearly 500 acres for a complex of six to eight smaller, specialized data center facilities, each with an investment starting at $400 million.
Concerns have arisen from local residents regarding the high water and power demands of data centers. McGregor city officials have responded by proposing strict water consumption limits of 3,000 gallons per day per unit, capping at 30,000 gallons daily for the Galaxy project. Additionally, Galaxy plans to build a million-gallon ground storage tank, pre-charging it slowly during construction to mitigate municipal grid strain. All heavy electricity infrastructure will be privately funded, and officials assure that server noise will be fully contained, with chillers being the loudest components.