Texas Ag Commissioner calls for pause on new AI data centers
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has called for a statewide pause on new AI data center development, citing concerns about the impact on prime farmland, water supplies, and the state's power grid. He emphasizes prioritizing rural communities and local infrastructure over large corporations, suggesting data centers should be built on marginal land.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has called for a statewide moratorium on new AI data center development, expressing concerns about their impact on prime farmland, water resources, and the stability of the state's power grid. His comments come shortly after reports of a new AI data center planned for the Robstown area. Miller emphasized the need to prioritize farmers, ranchers, and landowners over global corporations in rural development decisions.
Miller detailed his worries, questioning the stress data centers would place on the electric grid during peak demand periods and the consumption of groundwater, particularly in regions like the Coastal Bend facing potential water emergencies. He noted that while data centers claim closed-loop systems, these still require substantial water.
Scott Frazier, a farmer and board member for the Nueces County Farm Bureau, echoed these sentiments, highlighting that rural communities are struggling to adapt to the rapid industrial growth, including wind and solar farms, and now data centers. Frazier advocated for greater stakeholder involvement and state agency oversight in project decisions to balance economic growth with the protection of agricultural land and local resources. Miller suggested the implementation of "agriculture freedom zones" to incentivize data centers to build on marginal land rather than fertile farmland.