Texas residents and state officials call for data center regulation in Bastrop County
Bastrop residents, joined by state officials including Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, are actively protesting data center developments in Texas. The opposition, fueled by concerns over resource consumption and limited county regulatory authority, is calling for moratoriums and increased oversight as Texas's AI boom accelerates.
Residents in Bastrop, Texas, are uniting across the political spectrum to oppose the rapid expansion of data centers, with a specific focus on a $1.4 billion EdgeConneX campus under construction in Cedar Creek. At a town hall meeting in Bastrop, community members voiced concerns over the resource-intensive nature of these developments and perceived lack of regulatory oversight.
Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, a Republican, echoed calls for a data center moratorium, criticizing Governor Greg Abbott for attracting the industry to Texas. State Representative Vikki Goodwin, a Democrat, also joined residents in demanding more oversight. The opposition highlights a shift in sentiment, even among conservatives, as Texas becomes the leading data center market globally with over 700 new facilities projected in the next decade.
While Bastrop County has already approved projects like EdgeConneX's 96-megawatt campus, offering tax abatements despite community backlash, the article notes that Texas counties generally have limited zoning authority. This has led to mixed results for local attempts to regulate development; Hill County rescinded a moratorium after a developer lawsuit, while Hays County enacted a six-month pause on approvals and created a water user oversight board. Other areas like San Marcos, Austin, Taylor, and Lockhart are considering bans, moratoriums, or zoning changes, with San Marcos already having banned data centers from its zoning code, prompting legal threats.