Bauer: If data centers want to operate in Texas, they should be prepared to pay their own way

Stephen Bauer, Texas Farm Bureau State Director for District 10 and a rancher from Kerr County, testified before the Texas House Committee on State Affairs regarding the rapid expansion of data centers across the state. Representing the Texas Farm Bureau, Bauer acknowledged Governor Abbott's proactive steps with ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to ensure responsible power development for data centers.

However, Bauer voiced significant concerns that data center growth is negatively impacting natural resources, existing infrastructure, and working lands vital to agriculture and rural communities. He highlighted water scarcity as a primary issue, citing ongoing drought and declining aquifers, and called for clear information on data center water usage to prevent competition with agriculture. Electric grid reliability was another major concern, with Bauer questioning the capacity of the grid to support large data center demands without compromising affordability and reliability for existing Texans. He advocated for large-load electric customers to bear the full cost of new infrastructure.

The Texas Farm Bureau also expressed apprehension about the ongoing loss of productive agricultural land, citing the Nexus Data Center in Hubbard as an example where over 4,000 acres of prime Blackland Prairie have been acquired. Bauer urged developers to explore options like partnering with the Texas Agricultural Land Trust to conserve working farms and ranches. He concluded by requesting that rural communities and agricultural producers have a meaningful voice in development processes, emphasizing the need for transparency, local engagement, and for data centers to be fully responsible for their impacts and resource acquisition.