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San Antonio council hears joint briefing on rapid data‑center growth, water and power impacts and next policy steps
Summary
Council received a joint briefing from CPS Energy, SAWS and Development Services on data-center growth: CPS outlined hundreds of megawatts in the pipeline and cost‑recovery safeguards; SAWS described recycled-water capacity constraints and options to limit potable use; staff and council discussed zoning amendments, a CPS pilot tariff for behind‑the‑meter generation, and a recycled‑water master plan.
The San Antonio City Council on March 4 received a three-part briefing—CPS Energy, San Antonio Water System (SAWS) and Development Services—focused on the city’s authority and tools for managing rapid data‑center growth.
Elena Ball, CPS chief strategy officer, said the utility currently tracks 59 large‑load projects in various phases and defines “large load” at 40 megawatts (about the consumption of 10,000 homes). She told council that 335 megawatts are contracted and that roughly 1,700 megawatts were in the pipeline across feasibility and contracting stages. “Not all of these projects are going to be built, and we are being very thoughtful,” Ball said, emphasizing preconstruction surety, engineering study fees and contributions in aid of construction that require large users to bear the upfront cost of specialized infrastructure.
CPS also described a time‑limited pilot new‑service…
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