East Texas lawmaker warns against rushing data center legislation
State Rep. Cody Harris, chairman of the Texas House Committee on Natural Resources, will hold a hearing on data center water usage on June 24. He advocates for responsible resource use and noise control through state law, while cautioning against rushed legislation. Harris also suggested that foreign interests may be influencing opposition to data center development.
State Representative Cody Harris (R-Palestine), chairman of the Texas House Committee on Natural Resources, emphasized the need for responsible data center growth in Texas while safeguarding natural resources. During an interview on East Texas Politics, Harris announced that his committee will hold a hearing on June 24 to specifically examine data center water usage.
Harris outlined potential "guardrails" for the industry, focusing on ensuring data centers utilize natural resources responsibly to avoid negatively impacting surrounding communities, particularly concerning excessive water consumption and noise pollution. He stressed the importance of thorough deliberation before enacting new state laws, cautioning against "knee-jerk reactions" if a special legislative session were to be called prematurely by the governor.
Furthermore, Harris suggested that some opposition to data center development in the U.S. and Texas might be influenced and funded by foreign interests, drawing a parallel to past opposition against the fracking industry, which he claimed was pushed by China. He underscored the global competition in data center construction, asserting that if these facilities aren't built in the United States, they will be built elsewhere, such as China, to meet the demand for cloud storage, AI, and streaming services.