Waco Bridge event explores data centers’ appetite for water, energy
An expert panel in Waco, Texas, discussed the impacts of proliferating data center projects in Central Texas on water consumption, air quality, and the electrical grid. The event highlighted community concerns and the challenges local governments face in shaping these developments. Panelists included researchers and local officials.
An expert panel convened at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, for "Data Center Impacts," an event hosted by The Waco Bridge, drawing approximately 180 attendees. The discussion focused on the rapid increase of data center projects in Central Texas and their implications for water usage, air quality, and the electrical grid.
Panelists included Margaret Cook, a data center researcher from the Houston Advanced Research Center; Luke Metzger, a policy expert with Environment Texas; and McLennan County Judge Scott Felton. Judge Felton expressed solidarity with community concerns, noting the data center industry's perceived lack of transparency and the limited authority county governments possess in regulating large-scale developments, especially in rural areas. Attendees included residents near proposed data center sites, such as the Infrakey project north of Lacy Lakeview.
The educational event, sponsored by MCC, The Baylor Line, The Texas Farm Bureau, and Heart of Texas Goodwill, also highlighted research indicating the scale of data center operations in Texas. Cook's findings show that the state's estimated 450 current data centers consume about 9.6 gigawatts of power, accounting for approximately 8% of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas's grid capacity, with future demands for artificial intelligence expected to further increase this consumption.