data centers

Data centers require significant amounts of water. But state lawmakers say they do not have reliable information about how much water the industry is consuming — and how that will impact the state’s water-scarce future.

Texas is experiencing an AI-driven data center boom with at least 248 projects planned statewide. Here’s what to know about the industry’s rapid growth and the debate over its impact.

A Texas Tribune analysis identified at least 248 planned data center projects. Opponents fear the projects will spike Texans’ electric bills and make the grid less reliable. But industry representatives say they promise huge economic gains.

Hill County has rescinded its one-year data center moratorium after a developer lawsuit, while approving new review policies requiring greater transparency from large projects.

The ICE detention center in Dilley, Texas, is again at the center of a national fight over the detention of migrant families and children. But for Tania Warner, the controversy is not abstract. It is something she says she lived through with her 7-year-old daughter.

Data centers are creating enormous demand for new electricity in Texas. But can the grid actually meet it?

Texas leads the nation in utilities shutting off electricity and natural gas services to customers who can't afford their energy bills, according to a report released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The report summarizes data center operations, growth, and impacts, along with a review of national and international efforts to respond to data center challenges and a summary of recommendations.

A recent study reveals the significant and largely unaccounted-for pressure that the rapid expansion of data centers is placing on Texas’ water resources. The number of massive data centers is surging in Texas, placing a strain on the grid. They are also demanding a lot of water that many areas just don't have.

The number of data centers in the San Antonio area continues to grow. And District 10 Councilmember Marc Whyte is presenting a nuanced position on the growth as an opportunity for the city’s economy — boosting revenue for CPS Energy and providing a projected $50 million dollars for the city’s general fund. Whyte is calling for managing data center growth to protect the region's water and neighborhoods.