Texas House Hearing Highlights Lack of Information on Data Center Water Use
A Texas House Committee on Natural Resources hearing discussed water usage by data centers in the state. Lawmakers expressed concern over the limited and unreliable information available regarding data center water consumption. The Texas Water Development Board indicated it has been tracking the sector's growing water use for several years.
The Texas House Committee on Natural Resources convened a hearing on Tuesday, June 23, to address the increasing water consumption by data centers across the state. Lawmakers at the hearing voiced concerns over the scarcity and unreliability of data pertaining to water usage by this rapidly expanding sector.
Temple McKinnon, Planning Director for the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), testified at the hearing, acknowledging the state's long-standing attention to data centers as a growing area of water use. The primary focus of the discussion was to clarify how water use data for data centers is currently collected in Texas.