Texas Agriculture Commissioner concerned with data center impact on ranching
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller met with Matagorda County residents who voiced concerns about impending AI data centers impacting local water supplies and farmland. Commissioner Miller shares these concerns and is working with lawmakers to create legislation that could prevent foreign companies from acquiring Texas land or halt companies that heavily utilize local resources. Residents are particularly worried about the data centers' high consumption of water and power.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller engaged with residents of Matagorda County during a meeting at the Matagorda County fairgrounds on Thursday, June 11th. The residents expressed significant concerns regarding proposed AI data centers and their potential impact on local resources, including water and farmland.
Commissioner Miller echoed these sentiments in an interview with 25 News Now, highlighting that his primary worry is the intensive land and water usage by these AI companies. He noted that data centers often occupy fertile agricultural land and consume substantial amounts of water essential for ranching and farming operations for their cooling systems.
While acknowledging the potential inevitability of these AI centers, Miller suggested solutions for coexistence between the agricultural and technology sectors. He proposed offering tax incentives for companies to develop on less desirable land and urged that these companies should be responsible for providing their own water and power infrastructure to alleviate strain on local community resources.
Miller also revealed progress in collaborating with lawmakers to draft legislation aimed at preventing foreign entities from purchasing Texas land, especially those companies that demand a high volume of local resources vital to existing industries and residents. Commissioner Miller is concluding his term, having been defeated by Nate Sheets in the recent election.