The El Paso City Council is taking a hard look at data centers cropping up in the area.
During its Tuesday, Feb. 17, meeting, the City Council will consider a plan to develop a data center policy framework, including an assessment of all current 380 agreements for area data centers.
The new policy would require data centers to coordinate with city and county governments, as well as utility providers, “to assess infrastructure capacity, long term demand, and system impacts associated with data center development,” according to a document accompanying Tuesday’s agenda.
Artist renderings show what Meta’s $1.5B data center in Northeast El Paso will look like.
Additionally, the plan would put in place a “Hire El Paso First” provision, clarify zoning and land use classifications, require corporate and social responsibility, and “provide clear, consistent, and predictable standards for data center development.”
The city manager would be required to return within 60 days with a plan of action. During that development phase, a pause would be placed on new data center projects.
More: El Paso County to establish guidelines for future data centers construction
In 2023, U.S. data centers accounted for nearly 4.5% of all the electricity used in the country, according to data from the Congressional Research Service. That number could reach as high as 12% over the next two years.
The same research found that U.S. data centers consume nearly 164 billion gallons of water each year.
City Council to mull new Deck Plaza design funding
Also on Tuesday, the City Council is expected to approve an advanced funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for the design of structural elements related to the proposed Downtown I-10 Deck Plaza.
Rendering of what one park may look like in proposed Downtown El Paso deck plaza/park over Interstate 10. This is the so-calle City Gardens area between Santa Fe and Oregon streets in the proposed first phase.
The total amount of the agreement is just over $10.6 million, with the city pitching in $584,320 from TIRZ No. 5 funds.
“This AFA allows for the design of the structural elements, not the (Deck Plaza) itself or the amenities, to proceed,” a document accompanying Tuesday’s agenda states. “It ensures that whenever the city decides to move forward with the (Deck Plaza) in the future, the elements are in place to build the (Deck Plaza) without having to do major modifications to I-10.”
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso City Council to look at data center rules, Deck Plaza funding