CENTRAL TEXAS (KXXV) — Central Texas residents joined others from across the state at the capitol to testify about water usage by data centers, as state agencies acknowledged they have limited information on the issue.
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More than 100 people filled three overflow rooms prepared to testify on both the pros and cons of data centers at the hearing before the Texas Natural Resources Commission. Due to the large number and in-depth conversations, many of them did not get to use their two minutes with the committee, causing frustrations for some neighbors.
Joe and Sarah Royer, founders of the Stop Temple Data Centers group, made the drive to the capitol to get answers and push for data centers to become a greater priority for state leaders.
"It's great that they're opening up conversation because we're definitely in an emergency at this point. There, we don't have time to wait till the legislative session in January," Sarah said.
"This is an emerging market. This is technology we've never seen before. We really need to just stop and take time to do some common sense regulations around this," Joe said.
Committee member, Cody Harris, framed the rapid growth of data centers as a consequence of progress.
"The issue of having an explosion of potential data centers is a supply and demand response. As always with progress and growth, growth comes growing pains."
Invited data center representatives declined to appear at Tuesday's hearing. State agencies said they had limited information on data center water use and conservation due to low survey response rates, a gap that concerned at many committee members.
"If the agency doesn't do what it could be doing it leaves us a gap of information to make the policy decisions we need to make in this very critical conversation," Committee member, Mary González, said.
One person who testified with a group, State Armor, framed the debate in terms of both local and national stakes.
"This is an important debate for the safety, environmental concerns of our community. It is also a very important debate for the national security and the competition between the United States of America and the Chinese Communist Party to see who will dominate the technologies of the 21st century."
As conversations continue at the state level, leaders are looking ahead to the 90th State Legislature.
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