EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) —The City of El Paso has begun a series of community meetings to gather public input on how data centers should be regulated in the future, as a major Meta data center project moves forward in the region.
City of El Paso seeks resident input on data center policy framework
The first meeting took place Monday evening, March 23, at the Don Haskins Recreation Center in West El Paso, drawing a strong turnout from residents looking to learn more and share their concerns.
City officials say the meetings are part of an effort to develop a policy framework for data centers, something they say does not currently exist.
“It’s an effort to be able to hear what the community is concerned about… and then look at what we need to plan for from the community’s perspective,” said Laura Cruz Acosta, spokesperson for the City of El Paso.
The discussions come as El Paso prepares to be home to a proposed billion-dollar Meta data center, expected to be operational around 2028. The project is expected to bring investment and jobs to the area, but it has also raised concerns among residents about its potential impact…