As the United States races to build thousands of new data centres to power artificial intelligence (AI), rural communities and state officials in Texas and beyond are sounding alarms over the strain on local resources and infrastructure. With more than 1,500 new facilities in various stages of development nationwide. Texas leads with around 140 new projects, closely followed by Virginia with 136, according to a Pew Research survey published in April. In fact, the Lone Star State is quickly becoming the main battleground for legal and legislative challenges to proposed data centre projects, which often promise economic benefits but face mounting local resistance over noise disruption, massive electricity and water demands, and the conversion of prime farmland to industrial use. Officials in Wise County, located just northwest of Fort Worth, have called on lawmakers in Austin to establish safeguards that would rein in development of any future data centres or allow county governments to take action instead.
The Texas Legislature is expected to take up the resolution when it convenes in January 2027. Meanwhile, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller this week called for a temporary statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centres, adding that doing so “creates breathing room for lawmakers, regulators, utilities, water experts, landowners, and agriculture to craft responsible guardrails before the industry outgrows our ability to manage it.” “It is time for a temporary moratorium on new hyperscale data centre development in Texas until we fully assess the long-term impacts on our infrastructure, agricultural economy, and communities,” said Miller in a press release. “We must not surrender our resources to global corporations without asking hard questions about the costs to Texas families, farmers, ranchers, and property owners.” Miller’s call for action comes shortly after he was ousted in the Republican primary by challenger Nate Sheets, who was backed by Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and industry groups.
Earlier this month, residents in one Georgia town were outraged after a data centre reportedly used nearly 30 million gallons of water during a drought. After residents in an upscale subdivision outside Fayetteville complained about low water pressure, officials determined a developer used an amount of water roughly equivalent to 44 Olympic-size swimming pools. While the U.S. currently has over 3,000 operational data centres, there are more than 1,500 new data centres in various stages of development across the nation, according to a Pew analysis. The survey also found that 38% of Americans live within 5 miles of at least one operational data centre, and because these structures are typically built in clusters, most Americans who live near one data centre are also likely to live near another. Additionally, 4% of Americans live within 5 miles of a planned data centre, which amounts to 42% of Americans who live near an existing or planned data centre. According to a Gallup poll conducted this month, most Americans — seven in 10 — are opposed to building data centres in their local area, with only 7% strongly in favour.
Source: Christian Post
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