Watch a conversation about the Texas data center boom

By Texas Tribune Events Staff, The Texas Tribune
June 17, 2026

Why are so many data centers looking to come to Texas? Why do they need so much water and energy? And how can local communities have a voice?

Texas Tribune Environmental Reporter Alejandra Martinez discussed the impacts of the data center development boom in Texas with experts in a July 22 conversation.

The panelists included:

• Adrian Shelly, Texas Director for Public Citizen, who has been tracking policy and community movements around data centers;
• Margaret Cook, vice president of Water, and Community resilience for the Houston Advanced Research Center, who earlier this year wrote a report on data centers’ impact and their water footprint for Texas;
• And state Rep. Mary González, a Democrat from Clint in the El Paso area, and a member of the Texas House’s Natural Resources Committee, a legislative committee discussing the industry’s water use.

The hour-long conversation, driven by questions submitted by registered attendees, dove into the following:

• The potential benefits and downsides of data centers for Texas communities;
• How data centers use water and power;
• The challenges in tracking and planning for data center development with limited transparency;
• How data centers and their water and energy use are regulated by state and local officials;
• Why county governments have limited regulatory power and why some are choosing to leverage tax cut agreements;
• The policy changes Texans and local elected officials are asking for;
• And how Texans and their communities can get involved in local and state discussions about data center development.

Find more on the Tribune’s past data center reporting here.

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This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.