Community-led town hall calls for data center oversight

Residents of Bastrop County, Texas, convened a community town hall on July 22 to demand greater transparency and local oversight for data center developments in the region. Attendees voiced concerns about the long-term impacts on water resources, electricity demand, noise, farmland, and nearby neighborhoods, particularly in light of ongoing EdgeConneX projects in Cedar Creek.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, while supporting technological growth, told the audience that the state has moved too quickly without sufficient safeguards. He advocated for a one-year statewide moratorium on new data center development to allow lawmakers to establish standards for water use, electricity demand, and land preservation.

Elgin attorney Nick Lealos proposed a "Bastrop Bill of Rights" for developers seeking tax abatements, which would mandate disclosure of water and electrical usage, public access to project documents, and the formation of a citizen advisory committee. Conversely, Cameron Dodd, political director for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 520, highlighted the significant construction jobs created by data centers in Central Texas, though he also supported stronger regulation.

A letter from Bastrop County Commissioner Butch Carmack, read at the meeting, acknowledged the county's limited ability to block private developments that meet legal criteria, emphasizing tax abatements as a tool for negotiating environmental and community benefits. He noted the county is updating its abatement policy. This town hall occurred shortly before Governor Greg Abbott announced that a Diode data center project in Henderson County had withdrawn, failing to meet state expectations. Abbott further stated plans to pursue legislation requiring data centers to report annual water and electricity usage and to eliminate certain tax incentives for the industry.