Waco hosts open forum on data center environmental and resource impacts

Name: Waco hosts open forum on data center environmental and resource impacts
Uploaded: 2026-05-29T01:40:07.000Z
Duration: 48 s
Description: A forum in Waco, Texas, discussed the projected growth of data centers and their potential impacts on the state's water and electricity supplies. Local residents expressed concerns about these developments, while panelists debated the environmental strain versus economic benefits. McLennan County Judge Scott Felton was among the participants.

News Clip0:48KWTX News10·Waco, McLennan County, TX·5/29/2026

A forum in Waco, Texas, discussed the projected growth of data centers and their potential impacts on the state's water and electricity supplies. Local residents expressed concerns about these developments, while panelists debated the environmental strain versus economic benefits. McLennan County Judge Scott Felton was among the participants.

waterelectricityoppositiongovernment

Gov: McLennan County, Texas

Texas is projected to become the largest data center hub in the U.S., and local residents are concerned about what that means for their own backyards. 

The Waco Bridge hosted a data center forum that discussed the impact of data centers on Texas’s water and electricity supplies, as well as potential economic benefits. Among the panel are McLennan County Judge Scott Felton, data center expert Dr. Margaret Cook of the Houston Advanced Research Center, and state environmental policy expert Luke Metzer.

 Panelists discussed Texas’s existing water stress and electrical grid limitations, noting that data centers could place additional strain on both if they continue to be built at projected levels.