![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788515571_713_IMG_Fort_Worth_City_Hall_2_1_4AQB1TPC_L886718259.JPG\" "\\"The")
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The new Fort Worth City Hall on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024.<\/p>\n
Amanda McCoy<\/p>\n
amccoy@star-telegram.com<\/p>\n
On Nov. 3, as voters head to the polls in the 2026 midterm elections, the Fort Worth City Council and Mayor Mattie Parker are set to receive a briefing on data centers from a new commission days before the city could hold its first public hearing on a potential data center moratorium.<\/a><\/p>\n The commission, proposed by City Council member Jeanette Martinez and led by Mike Slattery, director of TCU\u2019s director for the Institute of Environmental Studies, will help the city adopt new standards for the development of data centers in Fort Worth.<\/p>\n The 11-member group \u2014 titled the \u201cFort Worth Data Center & Infrastructure Commission,\u201d<\/a> according to a press release from the city \u2014 will be made up of academics, data center and real estate experts, residents who have been vocal about data centers, and members of prominent Fort Worth organizations. QTS, a data center developer with several locations in the Metroplex, is set to be a member.<\/p>\n Slattery, the professor, said he\u2019s keenly aware of the attention that will be on the committee as data centers continue to be a top political issue for voters. Slattery has also conducted research<\/a> on renewable energy and rhinoceros conservation.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is very new territory for us,\u201d Slattery said. \u201cThis is going to be very public. It\u2019s laced with politics. There\u2019s lots of misinformation and rhetoric out there, as it pertains to data centers. But it\u2019s an incredibly important task that we face.\u201d<\/p>\n The commission, which starts its work on Friday, Sept. 4, will deliver a report to the city detailing research on power, water usage, land use, neighborhood impacts, and economic development.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a tall order to be sure, Slattery said \u2014 but he does not want to approach the issue politically.<\/p>\n \u201cI am not going in there with you know any political beef, I\u2019m not going into this commission wearing red or blue or anything remotely close to that,\u201d Slattery said. \u201cI understand that there are very strong feelings around data centers and what that means. My job is to navigate all of these issues from a fact-based evidence perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n Slattery was tapped by Parker in early August, he said, to lead the commission.<\/p>\n The idea of an advisory commission on data centers is not brand-new \u2014 states including Maine<\/a> and Oregon<\/a> have adopted statewide advisory councils, and smaller cities have tried them as well \u2014 but it\u2019s still fresh territory on top of rapidly evolving technology, Slattery said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is still, in many ways, I think, an early stage nascent technology,\u201d Slattery said. \u201cSo I think to try and do something now and do it right is important.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s who will be a voting member of the commission, according to a press release from the city:<\/p>\n David Berzina, vice president, JLLThe Rev. Vernon Elisher, president, Youth & Family Community Outreach Inc.Krista Erbe, community organizer, 2871 Community CoalitionNick Fang, Robert S. Gooch Endowed professor in civil engineering and head of the Water Engineering Research Center (WERC), University of Texas at ArlingtonAndrew Franko, principal, Freese and NicholsRusty Fuller, president, North Fort Worth AllianceTobi Jackson, chief executive officer, Fort Worth SPARCRyan Kuithe, senior vice president of facility operations, QTS Data CentersJohn MacFarlane, executive committee member \u2014 conservation, Greater Fort Worth Sierra ClubStathis Michaeledes, W.A. \u201cTex\u201d Moncrief Jr. founding chair of engineering at TCUAmbika Sharma, community organizer<\/p>\n In addition to the voting members, the press release says, the commission will also receive support from 10 academics hailing from North Texas universities as well as Cornell University.<\/p>\n