EP City Council votes against pursuing end to Meta deal
The El Paso City Council voted 5-3 against a proposal to terminate an existing incentives agreement with Meta for its data center under construction in Northeast El Paso. This decision came after nine hours of public comment, with many residents opposing the data center due to environmental concerns.
The El Paso City Council voted 5-3 against a proposal to end an incentives agreement with Meta for a data center currently under construction in Northeast El Paso. The decision, made on June 9, came after a marathon meeting at City Hall that included nine hours of public comment, with over 180 people signing up to speak.
Most attendees strongly opposed the Meta data center, urging the City Council to break the contract due to high environmental risks and the data center's potential energy consumption, which some argue could exceed that of the entire city. Representatives Josh Acevedo, Lily Limon (who introduced the item), and Chris Canales voted in favor of moving to terminate the contract.
However, the majority of the council, including Art Fierro, voted against termination. Opponents of ending the contract highlighted warnings from the city's outside counsel that terminating the 35-year tax incentives agreement could lead to a legal battle costing hundreds of millions. They also argued that the data center might still be built, and backing out could damage El Paso's reputation for future investments. Despite the vocal public opposition, the council ultimately chose to continue the agreement.