Fort Worth City Council members have issued a temporary moratorium on new data centers. Officials are also establishing a data center commission and will require evidence of ERCOT interconnection approval before signing off on new projects.
The moratorium “will not take effect until [Fort Worth] completes the state mandated steps,” per Mayor Mattie Parker’s statement posted to X Tuesday night. According to the city council resolution, the moratorium will last an initial 90 days, with opportunity for extension.
Fort Worth’s actions come amid “understandable concern across our city, state, and country about the infrastructure demands and potential environmental impacts of data centers,” wrote Parker.
“[This concern is] amplified by rapid technological change, partisan election battles, conflicting information, and uncertainty about AI’s future,” Parker added. “At the same time, data center development is critical to our future economy and national security.”
Though numbers vary with each report, Texas is commonly listed as one of the top data center hubs in the nation, with Dallas-Fort Worth being consistently ranked number one for data centers in the state.
In spite of this great influx, recent polling reveals that a majority of Texans are concerned about the impact of data centers on local communities, water resources, and Texas’ power grid.
“Quality of life in Fort Worth is a top priority for City Council and City Management, and we recognize that data center policy matters deeply to our residents,” said Parker.
The resolution states that the purpose of the moratorium is to evaluate the noise and water impacts of data center facilities, as well as land-use compatibility and various amendments deemed necessary for such facilities.
The City Council voted unanimously for the temporary moratorium, which applies to “new data centers.” It is unclear if projects such as the Black Mountain Energy project, already approved by the Forth Worth Zoning Commission in early April, will be affected by the moratorium.
Parker also announced the establishment of the Fort Worth Data Center and Infrastructure Commission, led by Dr. Mike Slattery, director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at Texas Christian University.
Parker states the purpose of the commission is to “guide us during the upcoming critical months this fall, ultimately allowing us to take swift action ahead of the legislative session to ensure our framework in Fort Worth is data-backed and evidence-based.”
New data center applications will also be required “to include evidence of grid interconnection approval from the PUCT and ERCOT.”
“Our vote tonight aligns with Gov. Abbott’s audit and temporary pause on data center development across the state,” said Parker.
“Very few zoning-related issues garner such public interest from residents and nationwide. This is an exception … About seven out of 10 Americans oppose the development of AI data centers in their communities, according to one recent Gallup poll. We will continue listening.”
