SAN ANTONIO – As data centers expand across the San Antonio area, the San Antonio Board of Realtors says it is still too early to know whether the facilities are affecting home prices or utility bills in the region.
“Yes, we’ve had data centers for a while. But as far as the hyper scale version of data centers, that’s still a relatively new thing we’re dealing with at this point. So we don’t really know the answers to a lot of the questions that are being asked,” said Marquis Williams of the San Antonio Board of Realtors.
KSAT 12 went to one of the largest data centers in Bexar County, the 158-acre Microsoft Texas Research Park, which is surrounded by homes. Over two days, reporters knocked on dozens of doors in the surrounding neighborhood.
One homeowner, speaking through a doorbell camera, said her water and electricity bills have been high since moving in. Asked whether she believed the data center was the reason, she said, “I think it’s a possibility because I didn’t live very far before I moved here, and it’s extremely high compared to what I’ve experienced.”
Robb Schultz, who has lived in the neighborhood for 18 months, said he has not seen the same thing.
“So far, the experience has been I don’t really hear it from where I live. I can hear it when I get a little closer to it. That hasn’t really been a problem. I haven’t noticed much difference so far in my utility bill. We keep an eye on our water bill. We keep expecting that to go out but so far, it hasn’t,” Schultz said.
His neighbor, Tracy Coleman, described a different experience.
“I started looking at it, and I said, ‘This is crazy.’ Do you realize how expensive this is? My neighbor, I was talking to her about it, and she said, ‘You know it’s because we live close to this.’ And I said, ‘no.’ She said, ‘Yeah, start taking a good look at it,’ and I did. I’m not crazy about it,” Coleman said.
Asked whether she would choose the same neighborhood again, Coleman said, “Nope, not at all. The more I’m here I’m like, nope, I’m not crazy about it.”
The San Antonio Board of Realtors say they will be watching the market closely for any changes.
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