Community concerns continue at second El Paso data center meeting

The City of El Paso hosted its second community meeting in Northeast El Paso to discuss a proposed data center policy framework, drawing dozens of residents to the Veterans Recreation Center. The series of meetings, directed by the City Council, aims to gather public input for future decisions on data center development, aligning with El Paso's Climate Action Plan which evaluates projects based on environmental, economic, and community considerations. While city spokesperson Laura Cruz-Acosta emphasized the meetings' focus on future policy, many attendees expressed frustration with the meeting format, stating that the multiple discussion stations made it difficult for everyone to receive consistent information. Residents voiced concerns from the crowd, with one noting, "Everyone needs to hear the same thing at the same time, because things get lost in translation." The primary focus of community members' comments, however, revolved around the Meta $1.5 billion AI data center already under construction in Northeast El Paso, near U.S. Highway 54. Residents expressed significant scrutiny over its potential impacts on local water resources, electricity demand, and overall quality of life. One resident explicitly stated, "We need to fight and stop Meta from coming in." City Representative Cynthia Trejo, who represents the area where the Meta data center is being built, acknowledged the concerns, stating, "Everything's negotiable," but also noted the Meta deal was made before her time on the City Council. El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar has also intervened, sending a letter to Meta requesting the company hold public listening sessions with the El Paso community to provide greater clarity on the data center's impact, asserting that "El Pasoans deserve more transparency."