Three San Antonio City Council members are calling for a temporary moratorium on applications for new data centers, citing concerns about the rapidly growing industry’s demands on water, electricity and impact on air quality in surrounding neighborhoods.
District 6 Councilmember Ric Galvan filed the three-signature memo with support from District 5 Councilmember Teri Castillo and District 8 Councilmember Ivalis Meza Gonzalez.
The memo requests a special council meeting by Aug. 31 to consider pausing applications, development plans and permits for new data centers for three to six months.
Galvan said the pause would give the city time to develop regulations addressing water and power consumption, air pollution, noise, construction standards and community benefits. He also wants CPS Energy and the San Antonio Water System to consider requiring clean energy and recycled water for new facilities.
The proposal follows Gov. Greg Abbott’s order requiring state regulators to audit data centers seeking connections to the ERCOT grid. Supporters of the industry say data centers bring investment, construction work and tax revenue, while the Data Center Coalition has urged regulators to avoid unnecessarily delaying responsible projects.
In an interview on The Source, Galvan will also discuss Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ push for a citywide vote on San Antonio’s proposed $489 million contribution to Project Marvel and Abbott’s proposal to open CPS Energy’s service territory to competing retail electricity providers.
Guest:
Ric Galvan is a San Antonio City Council member for District 6.
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m.
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This interview will be recorded live on Monday August 10, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
