East Texas lawmaker warns against rushing data center legislation
State Rep. Cody Harris discusses upcoming legislative hearings on data center water and electricity usage in Texas, opposing a special session. He advocates for requirements like closed-loop water systems and developers bringing their own power, while also emphasizing the need to protect property owner rights and control noise.
State Representative Cody Harris of Palestine, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, discussed the critical issue of data center development in Texas, particularly concerning water and electricity consumption. Harris announced an upcoming House committee hearing on June 23rd to investigate data center operations, focusing on their water sourcing and usage practices. He noted a distinction between responsible operators utilizing closed-loop systems and "wildcatter" developers consuming immense amounts of resources.
Harris expressed caution against calling a special legislative session to address the issue prematurely, stating that a rush to judgment could lead to "knee-jerk reactions" instead of well-considered state law. He highlighted a controversial perspective, suggesting that opposition to data center development in the U.S. and Texas might be influenced and funded by China, drawing parallels to past anti-fracking campaigns. Harris emphasized that data centers are essential infrastructure, and if not built in the U.S., they will be built elsewhere.
Regarding potential legislative solutions, Representative Harris proposed several key measures for the upcoming January session. He suggested mandating closed-loop water systems for all new data centers, noting that such systems use minimal water, equivalent to about three households per year. He also recommended that data centers be required to bring their own power to avoid increasing electricity rates for Texans. Additionally, Harris advocated for removing tax incentives for data center developers, arguing they are already eager to build in the state. He also touched upon protecting property owners' rights by implementing "guard rails" for noise control and responsible natural resource utilization to prevent harm to surrounding communities. The public is invited to provide testimony at the June 23rd hearing, alongside invited witnesses.