Fort Worth resident Sue Weston has always considered herself “all for business.” As the booming data center industry comes to Fort Worth and surrounding areas, she understands the economic benefits that developers and city leaders say the projects will bring.
But as an environmentalist, Weston worries about the possible side effects on Fort Worth’s natural resources and the quality of life of her family and neighbors. Weston owns the garden center and event venue Weston Gardens, which sits adjacent to the $10 billion data center project led by energy conglomerate Black Mountain in southeast Fort Worth.
In recent months, Weston joined a growing chorus of Tarrant County residents and data center skeptics calling for strict regulations, a temporary pause or an outright ban on data center development. At local government meetings and community town halls, residents have urged elected officials to pump the brakes on data center projects in Fort Worth, research their impact on the environment and come up with thoughtful ways to regulate the developments…