The Bell County Commissioners Court postponed any tax abatement changes for data center construction. Officials argued that removing abatements would weaken county oversight for the projects.
As data center construction continues across Texas, local counties lack specific tools to address potential environmental and public health impacts.
At a Bell County Commissioners Court meeting Monday, citizens spoke out against the construction of data centers and pleaded for a moratorium. This came as the court was considering adopting resolutions regarding the establishment of additional data centers.
County Judge David Blackburn said the court lacks authority to regulate construction, other than to remove the centers from tax abatement considerations.
“If we remove them from consideration for tax abatement, then it will truly be the wild, wild west in the county for data center developments. There will not be any regulation that we can impose,” Blackburn said.
Other members of the court echoed the same sentiment.
“I was hoping it was going to get voted on and approved today, but maybe not. All these issues that we’re talking about, that it’s too late in 2027, we need a special session now. These things are happening very quickly in central Texas,” a local resident said in an interview with KXXV after the Friday meeting.
State Rep. Hillary Hickland (R–Belton) wrote that she shares “the frustration with the rapid growth of data centers across Bell County and Texas,” in a recent Facebook post.
In its resolution outlining legislative priorities for the next session, the court urged lawmakers to revisit county authority over large commercial projects—especially data centers—so they can require companies to cover their own electric infrastructure costs, reduce residential electric bills, increase grid capacity, and use more water‑efficient designs.
The Texas House Natural Resources Committee is slated to hold a hearing on data centers on June 23.
