In this commentary, State Sen. Charles Perry argues AI data center projects warrant vetting – but not simply rejection – as the state protects water and resources.
Source: Perry argues AI data centers can benefit Texas, need vetting | Opinion | Lubbock AJ
Outside-city water customers argue the city’s rates are too high, while Corpus Christi says the revenue is needed to maintain aging infrastructure and secure future.
A judge will hear arguments this week after industrial users protested a rate hike by the city, which said residents and businesses were unfairly subsidizing industrial rates.
Source: Corpus Christi in $80 million legal fight over water rate refund | The Texas Tribune
With Gov. Greg Abbott weighing in big time to protect residential electricity ratepayers from the costs of data centers, a landmark $7-billion Microsoft-Chevron AI data center and natural gas power plant 20 miles south of Pecos have come under an even bigger spotlight than they already were.
Source: Pecos AI center scrutinized amid governor’s strict requirements | Odessa American
local water supplies. We know that water supply is a priority for decision makers. The state recently committed to investing $20 billion in water supply and infrastructure over the next 20 years via a landmark, bipartisan water bill. We need to ensure that those funds are invested well. We cannot do that if we do not have good data on water use. When a data center joins a community, it needs to pay its fair share of future water costs. This should not be put on existing water customers who are already facing higher costs on many fronts. Location is everything. Though most of Texas is water-stressed, some areas are more stressed than others. A one-size-fits-all water approach for data centers won’t work. And that’s just the water challenge. For each of the unique and significant issues data centers present, Texas must seek and get more information, prioritize collaboration and transparency, and take a common-sense approach that
Residents and small businesses across the Corpus Christi region subsidized big industrial plants’ water bills for years, city officials say. The companies are now fighting to keep the subsidy.
Rapid data center growth in areas that have little power to control development is raising concerns about water use and energy demand in rural Texas.
Source: As AI data center boom pushes into rural Texas, farmers fear what comes next | AAS
A judge will hear arguments this week after industrial users protested a rate hike by the city, which said residents and businesses were unfairly subsidizing industrial rates.
Source: Corpus Christi in $80 million legal fight over water rate refund | The Texas Tribune
Growers, ranchers and companies warn of too much farmland being used for AI data centers, siphoning water.
Source: A new foe has emerged for data centers: farmers | Wall Street Journal