Wichita Falls forum debates data center impacts
A forum in Wichita Falls, Texas, brought together community members and Democratic candidates to discuss concerns about data centers. Residents and candidates expressed worries about the environmental impact, high resource consumption, and lack of economic benefits associated with data center developments. The Skybox data center in Wichita Falls was specifically mentioned for its expected water and power usage.
The Red River Data Center Forum in Wichita Falls, Texas, served as a platform for community members to voice their concerns and questions about data center developments to local and state Democratic candidates.
Candidates, including State Senate District 28's Riley Rodriguez, Democratic state agriculture commissioner candidate Clayton Tucker, and U.S. Congress candidate Mark Nair, criticized the lack of transparency from current representatives and disputed claims of economic benefits. Rodriguez highlighted a housing crisis in Abilene linked to data center development, while Tucker warned of significant water and power usage, stating that data centers could "drain large parts of Texas dry" and increase temperatures. Nair reiterated that data centers do not bring the promised jobs or economic boom and urged the community to stop such developments.
Concerned citizen Walter Coppage spoke against the secrecy surrounding these projects. The Skybox data center, under construction in Wichita Falls, was specifically cited for its expected annual water consumption of 150,000 to 400,000 gallons and over 800 megawatts of power capacity. State representative candidate Leilani Barnett noted the county's awareness of the project since 2013. All participating candidates pledged to continue engaging with residents on data center issues.