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Austin Environmental Commission urges council to adopt strict controls on data centers, including moratorium in city limits and ETJ
Summary
The commission voted unanimously to send a package of policy recommendations to City Council addressing data‑center energy and water use — urging regional coordination, minimum on‑site renewables for Tier‑2+ facilities, reclaimed water for cooling, a 75% rooftop solar target, mandatory curtailment during declared electrical emergencies and a moratorium on new data centers inside Austin and its ETJ.
The Austin Environmental Commission on April 1 unanimously approved a broad set of policy recommendations for City Council intended to limit the environmental footprint of hyperscale data centers and to preserve regional water and energy resources.
Commissioners described rapid growth in large data‑center development locally and statewide and said the commission needed to act to protect water supplies, reduce greenhouse‑gas risk and manage grid impacts. Commissioner Sullivan framed the item with national and local data on the sector’s rapid expansion and rising electricity demand; he warned that new AI‑driven facilities can consume power and water at scales that meaningfully…
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