EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso City Representative Chris Canales joined Mike and Tricia Martinez on Second Cup on KTSM+ to discuss ending future data center projects on Friday morning, May 29.
As KTSM previously reported, Canales initially voted to approve an incentive agreement for META data centers in El Paso in 2023.
Now, he proposed a policy to stop incentivizing future hyperscale data center projects, which City Council approved.
El Paso City Council votes to stop recruiting data center projects
Canales mentioned that the city has received numerous requests to terminate its agreement with META. However, breaking the agreement would require the city to pay a large amount of money, which could potentially bankrupt it.
“What we thought the project would be in 2023 is not what we see today,” Canales said. “It’s something way bigger than we anticipated; it’s an incredibly unfortunate situation.”
Canales stated that he believes that the project’s expansion has led to negative impacts.
Data centers are predicted to greatly increase demand for resources such as electricity and water.
Lawmakers express concerns that data centers will raise electric bills
“I have huge concerns about the environmental impact, my background is in that,” Canales said. “I think there are plenty of concerns, really valid concerns.”
Canales told KTSM that he earned a degree in sustainable development and has worked in the sustainability and resource management field.
Canales also said that an implementation plan is something he would want to continue working on moving forward.
“That’s a big thing I would want to keep working on for the future; we’re working on it now,” he said.
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