BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – As data centers continue to spark pushback across the Brazos Valley, state and local leaders are shifting the conversation from total bans to proactive regulations before companies propose new facilities.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller rolled out a proposal this week aimed at protecting farmland and water while recognizing what he said is an inevitable expansion of data centers across the state.
Communities across the Brazos Valley have raised concerns about data centers, from water use and power demand to where these facilities are built.
Commissioner Miller’s plan calls for “agriculture freedom zones” that would use tax incentives to steer data centers toward what he calls less productive land, keeping prime farmland available for farmers and ranchers.
Miller said the state needs data, innovation, and technology infrastructure to stay competitive, but there should be protections in place for Texans, their resources and their land.
At the same time, local leaders said they are focused on implementing guardrails on data center development at the city level.
“Believe me, I’m looking at our city, our community, you know, like my granddad said, you know, leave it better than you found it, but think about it 100 years from now,” Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez said. “Think about it when your great grandkids and your great-great grandkids are going to be here, what are you going to leave for them?”
Last year, College Station residents turned out in mass to oppose a data center proposal at Midtown. Now, College Station Mayor John Nichols said they’re focusing on creating city-level guardrails to have in place before a proposal comes up.
“The only thing we’ll be revisiting on data centers is our regulations with respect to data centers where they can be placed,” College Station Mayor John Nichols said.
This week, President Donald Trump also weighed in on the debate, posting on social media that tech companies must “pay their own way” to avoid raising electricity costs for local, often rural, communities.
The talks for those regulations are in the earliest stages, and there’s no timeline for when or what could go into effect. However, across the state and across the aisle, it’s clear that protections are needed to make sure innovation doesn’t come at the expense of farmland, natural resources, or community well-being.
Copyright 2026 KBTX. All rights reserved.