Manvel closes door on data centers
The Manvel City Council unanimously voted to amend its zoning ordinance, effectively banning data centers from being permitted by right within the city. This decision came on the same day Governor Greg Abbott ordered a statewide pause on new data center construction in Texas, pending a comprehensive audit by the PUCT and ERCOT. The audit will assess various aspects including power dependency, water demands, and community impact.
The Manvel City Council unanimously voted to amend its zoning ordinance, effectively preventing data centers from being permitted by right anywhere within the City of Manvel. Mayor Dan Davis stated this decision aligns with the community's vision and closes a recently discovered loophole that would have allowed such construction.
This local action coincided with a statewide directive from Governor Greg Abbott, who ordered a pause on all new data center construction in Texas. The pause is pending a comprehensive audit by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The audit will evaluate several factors, including the necessity of state/municipal financial assistance, a data center's ability to provide its own power, its water demands, and its impact on property owners regarding noise, light, traffic, and emergency response.
Currently, pending requests for data center development in Texas represent a potential 474 gigawatts of future power demand. Mayor Davis emphasized that Manvel, as a zoned city, possesses the authority to regulate land use, a power not held by all Texas cities or counties. The City of Alvin previously voted in June to delay data center construction for similar studies, though interest in a potential center there reportedly waned.