Escobar urges El Paso Water board to boost transparency, protect residents on data centers

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-El Paso) has urged the El Paso Water Public Service Board to take swift action to protect the region's limited water supply and prevent cost burdens on residential ratepayers as artificial intelligence data centers expand in El Paso County. In a letter sent to the board, Escobar emphasized El Paso's long history of water conservation and mandatory restrictions, contrasting it with ongoing basic service gaps for nearly 1,900 individuals in colonias without water access. She also highlighted the increasing pressure on the region's water outlook due to rising temperatures and persistent drought conditions, stating that additional large industrial water users like data centers threaten to strain the already limited supply. Escobar recommended several steps for the Public Service Board, including requiring AI data centers to use closed-loop liquid cooling systems, establishing clear and regularly reported metering, and adopting transparency requirements for real-time public disclosure of water usage. She also advocated for data centers to subsidize infrastructure improvements rather than shifting costs to residential customers, and for the adoption of protections that prioritize residential and existing commercial users during drought periods. Additional recommendations included creating a separate rate structure for data centers, incorporating system development fees, peak capacity charges, and upfront capital contributions. Escobar specifically called for ensuring that investment promised by Meta and other data centers is appropriately deployed for sustainability efforts.