By Edmond Ortiz
Three San Antonio City Council members have signed a memo, asking for a council vote on a moratorium on new data centers by the end of August.
Council members gathered Aug. 7 outside of City Hall for a press conference, seeking an ordinance that establishes a three- or six-month pause on the acceptance of applications and plans, and permit issuances for new data center development inside city limits.
More and more communities around Texas and across the nation are trying to enact moratoriums and other measures within their legal means to stop or slow the increase of data centers.
Residents in such places have voiced concerns about data centers’ impacts on the local environment, nearby neighborhoods, and electrical and water sources.
But in many cases, a number of data center developers are using litigation and other means to repel attempts at moratoriums and local regulatory tools, such as zoning.
The Texas Commission on Environment Quality, too, is holding a public meeting Aug. 17 regarding the second of two Vantage Data Centers in San Antonio.
San Antonio District 6 City Councilmember Ric Galvan, who represents an area with several data centers, led the call for a moratorium, saying pausing applications would give the city time to find the legal regulatory tools to more effectively address the arrival of such facilities.
Galvan also said the city should find a way to ensure that new data centers positively benefit the local community, construction of such facilities is performed by union labor, and do not negatively affect local utilities.
“As we continue to progress on my Council Consideration Request (CCR), and the state begins to weigh its role in data center development, I’m requesting a moratorium to allow us to finish the work we’ve started and adopt thoughtful regulations before additional facilities are approved,” Galvan said in a statement.
Galvan was joined by District 5 Councilmember Teri Castillo and District 8 Councilmember Ivalis Meza Gonzalez in signing the memo proposing a moratorium and requesting a council vote.
“District 5 recognizes the significant concerns these facilities present,” Castillo said in a statement. “Data centers are resource-intensive, placing substantial demands on our electric grid and water supply, and can impact the quality of life for nearby residents, including surrounding wildlife.”
