State Rep. Drew Darby has asked the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to hold a public meeting in Tom Green County before acting on four air quality permit applications tied to a proposed Beacon Data Centers campus.
“Given the level of worry raised by affected residents, I am writing to formally request that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) hold a public meeting in Tom Green County regarding the air quality permit application submitted by Westline TX Holdings, LLC, under the name Westline 2335,” wrote Darby (R–San Angelo).
Darby also sent a separate letter to Beacon Data Centers, the developer behind the proposed project, raising residents’ concerns over transparency and communication.
“I spent many hours in my district office holding one-on-one meetings with concerned constituents to listen to and evaluate their concerns. Moreover, hundreds of constituents have both called and written to voice their worries. I have come to share many of the concerns presented by my constituents, and I believe further engagement on your part is warranted to address them swiftly and publicly. Direct intervention in a proposed private development is not something I take lightly, nor often,” added Darby.
Darby also listed residents’ concerns, including resource usage, water sourcing for cooling systems, potential economic benefits, traffic and noise impacts, grid interconnection plans, and compliance with state and community standards.
“I believe there can be genuine economic and national security benefits to responsible data center development in Texas; however, we must also be realistic in acknowledging the potential for disruption. In rural West Texas, communities come first, and new developments must respect those who live, work, and build their lives here long before any company intends to break ground. As noted above, it is my assessment that Beacon remains far behind where it needs to be in terms of community support for proposed [development],” wrote Darby.
In June, Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas and ERCOT to take steps aimed at shielding residential ratepayers from the costs of data center expansion. Abbott has also called for standards addressing water consumption, neighborhood impacts, infrastructure costs, and other concerns.
Darby urged Beacon to publicly commit to meeting those standards.
Polling has shown that Texans across the political spectrum are concerned that the energy-intensive projects will strain the power grid and water supply.
