Councilmember Galvan calls for moratorium on San Antonio data centers
Three San Antonio City Council members are proposing a temporary moratorium on new data center applications due to concerns about their demands on water and electricity, as well as their impact on air quality. They are requesting a special council meeting by August 31 to consider a 3-6 month pause to allow the city to develop comprehensive regulations.
San Antonio City Council members Ric Galvan (District 6), Teri Castillo (District 5), and Ivalis Meza Gonzalez (District 8) have filed a memo calling for a temporary moratorium on new data center applications, development plans, and permits. Their proposal requests a special council meeting by August 31 to consider a three-to-six-month pause.
The council members cited growing concerns over the data center industry's significant demands on local water and electricity resources, as well as potential impacts on air quality and noise in surrounding neighborhoods. Councilmember Galvan emphasized that this pause would provide the city with crucial time to develop new regulations addressing these issues, along with construction standards and community benefits.
Furthermore, Galvan intends to push CPS Energy and the San Antonio Water System to implement requirements for new data facilities to utilize clean energy and recycled water. This local initiative follows Governor Greg Abbott's recent directive for state regulators to audit data centers seeking connections to the ERCOT grid. While industry supporters highlight the economic benefits of data centers, the Data Center Coalition has urged regulators to avoid unnecessary project delays.