Data Center Debate
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. The growth of artificial intelligence is driving a boom in data center construction across the country, and it could be the next big debate here in the Pacific Northwest.
But some state leaders, including Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, are raising concerns about the impact these facilities could have …
MILLER … “Well, it’s the hottest topic in Texas, period. People are really, really upset. Not a lot of transparency. These things come in. It’s a done deal before anybody knows there’s a deal.”
And that, Miller says is raising frustrations …
MILLER … “People are upset about their electric rates going up. People are upset about the amount of electricity, but also the amount of water that they’re going to take to cool these. They’re upset about losing farmland once they pave that over for a solar farm or data center or a crypto mine. That’s it.”
Miller says we’ve got to protect our farmland …
MILLER … “We’ve got a finite amount of farmland, but our population grows, expands every day. That’s a bad
combination.”
Miller says the pace of development has moved faster than the state’s ability to create clear guidelines.
He’s calling for more oversight and says lawmakers need to address the issue before more projects move forward.
