In Taylor, critics rally against data centers

The Halt Taylor Data Centers Coalition held a press conference in Taylor, Texas, to raise awareness about the potential negative impacts of data centers on the community, with three projects already announced for the area. The group urged residents to attend an upcoming Taylor City Council meeting to request a delay in approving zoning changes for 'Project Comal' until the city can revise its data center regulations. Clayton Tucker, secretary of the Texas Farmers Union, spoke at the event, advocating for a statewide moratorium on data centers in Texas. He cited concerns about increased power prices and depleting, toxic water wells in other states where data centers have been built. Tucker claimed that data center developers have been untruthful about their water and power consumption and suggested the Texas agriculture commissioner could require impact studies to verify developers' claims. Critics also expressed worries about low-frequency vibrations from data centers potentially affecting health within a five-mile radius. Meanwhile, the 'Blueprint Data Center' project, which had received council approval and tax incentives, is facing delays due to ongoing legal challenges from residents. Although a lawsuit against it was dismissed by a state district judge in October, an appeal is currently underway. Residents are encouraged to sign a petition for stronger data center regulations.