Parker County adopts resolution urging stricter oversight of data centers, opposes water-intensive cooling

The Parker County Commissioners Court adopted a resolution June 9 calling on state regulators and lawmakers to tighten oversight of large-scale data center development and to require transparent reporting of projected electricity and water demand. County Judge Patty, who opened the special session, read the resolution in full before the commissioners moved and approved it by voice vote.

The resolution opposes the use of open-loop evaporative cooling systems or other high-volume potable water technologies in water-constrained regions and says the county will not approve property tax abatements or other county-level incentives for hyperscale computing facilities. It asks state leaders and agencies'including the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and the Texas Water Development Board'to require independent assessments of grid reliability, transmission capacity and regional water availability before projects proceed.

Commissioners framed the action as a protective step designed to preserve local water supplies, agricultural land and rural quality of life while urging the Legislature to provide counties with additional tools. Commissioner Walden moved to approve the resolution and Commissioner Conley seconded; the motion carried by voice vote. The court directed that the resolution be distributed to state officials, regulatory agencies and local utilities and said it would add additional recipients such as transmission and distribution utilities to the distribution list.

Residents filled the courthouse for the special session and the public-comment period that followed, pressing the court to strengthen language and to pursue legislative remedies. The court said it will pursue follow-up, assemble a public summary of the meeting and schedule an additional evening session so more residents can attend.

The court's resolution is advisory to state agencies; it does not change state permitting law. The resolution text and the list of recipients were not assigned an ordinance or resolution number during the meeting and no detailed roll-call vote tally was recorded on the record.

What happens next: county officials said they will press state legislators and share the resolution with agencies and utilities, and they pointed residents toward the Texas House Committee on Natural Resources meeting scheduled for June 23, where data centers are on the agenda.