Athens City Council votes 3-2 in favor of ordinance banning data centers
The Athens City Council voted 3-2 to pass an ordinance banning certain data center developments within city limits. This decision follows a proposal from Developer Data Factory in April and addresses long-term community concerns, particularly regarding environmental impacts in the agrarian area. Residents, while relieved by the ban, anticipate future challenges.
The Athens City Council recently passed an ordinance by a 3-2 vote that bans certain data center developments within the city limits of Athens, Texas. The council's action defines a data center as a facility larger than 500 square feet used to house computer servers, aiming to prevent larger operations while exempting smaller server rooms in schools or offices.
This decision comes after a developer, Data Factory, proposed a data center in April, sparking community concern. Athens resident Greta Shelton expressed relief at the vote but anticipates further battles over data center development. She emphasized the community's need for more information and concern for their agrarian lifestyle, livestock, and animals, suggesting long-term environmental impacts remain a worry.
The local development follows a statewide pause ordered by Texas Governor Greg Abbott on approving new data center connections to the state power grid. Governor Abbott also issued energy usage standards for data centers earlier this year, reflecting broader concerns about electricity consumption by the industry.