Senator's office asks Texas Legislature to study data center impacts after Grayson County resolution

Melanie Marks, district coordinator for Senator Brent Hagen, told the Grayson County Commissioners Court that the senator’s office sent a letter to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick asking that the Legislature designate an interim study to evaluate the impacts of large-scale data center development.

Marks said the letter was prompted in part by a resolution passed by Grayson County and urged study of grid reliability, water consumption, fiscal implications and whether counties and municipalities retain appropriate authority to represent constituent positions during such infrastructure expansion. "Increasing demand for digital infrastructure, data aggregation, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency mining, and related processes is an essential component of Texas' economic competitiveness and national security," Marks read.

The letter asks that legislative committees evaluate grid reliability, water sustainability, local authority and infrastructure impacts, and consider local fiscal implications. Marks said the senator "wholeheartedly" agrees with Representative Helen Kerwin that Texas must remain competitive in advanced technology while getting foundational policies right from the beginning.

The court received the announcement during its announcements period; no formal county action on the matter was recorded in the meeting minutes.