Texas lawmaker calls for data centers to pay their share of rural infrastructure
Texas Rep. Drew Darby is calling for data centers to demonstrate tenants, financing, community support and the ability to pay for their power and other infrastructure before receiving expedited grid connections. He criticized Beacon Data Centers’ proposed Dove Creek project for failing to provide timely answers about water, power, noise and other impacts, while state officials have paused or reviewed data center permitting and ERCOT interconnections.
Rep. Drew Darby, a San Angelo Republican and chairman of the Texas House Energy Resources Committee, said future data centers should pay their share of electricity, water, roads and other infrastructure costs and provide evidence of tenants and financing. He supports preserving ERCOT’s Batch Zero process for screening large-load projects, although he favors adjustments to ensure projects contribute generation or provide flexibility to the grid.
Darby criticized Beacon Data Centers’ proposed project near Dove Creek and Knickerbocker in Tom Green County, saying the company did not give residents timely, concrete information about water use, power generation, noise, lighting, traffic and potential pollution. The discussion comes as Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered an audit of data centers seeking grid connections and directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to pause data center permits, amid broader concerns about grid reliability, tax incentives, rural infrastructure and the use of treated oilfield water.