Drain, pain
Fort Worth leaders should resist the rush to embrace massive artificial intelligence data center projects. In Texas, water is scarce, and the demand for electricity is already high. Fort Worth is particularly at risk as an urban heat zone, hotter and drier than surrounding areas.
Large AI data centers strain water resources, increase pressure on the power grid and rely heavily on energy sources that release large amounts of carbon dioxide. The Fort Worth Zoning Commission and City Council may soon vote on proposed regulations that could mitigate the harms of development within the city limits. (June 18, star-telegram.com, “Fort Worth pushes vote for $10B data center site plan to Aug. 25. What to know”) These are important proposals and deserve support.
Unfortunately, it is unclear whether data center developers and state legislators will attempt to override efforts to assert local control, especially when compliance involves significant cost. City leaders should move carefully before approving projects without adequate assurance of local control…