Mr Tulip said:

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For Baylor University, you get a renown educational institution in your town. You get students, professors, other employees, and community engagement. There's a tremendous return.

Even for the golf course (which aren't exactly your shining beacon of responsible land use), you get golf pros, maintenance, facilities, and the ability to play golf, if that's your thing.

For a data center, you get 10 permanent jobs and a way to generate wealth for people who don't live there.

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An average operational data center typically employs between 50 and 200 permanent workers, depending on its capacity and business model. Staffing scales with power (megawatts) and automation, with common workforce benchmarks breaking down as follows:Small Facilities (15 MW): 8 to 15 operational staff.Medium Facilities (520 MW): 15 to 35 operational staff.Large & Hyperscale (20100+ MW): 50 to 200+ employees.The workforce spans several on-site roles, including critical facility technicians, network engineers, facilities management, catering, and 24/7 security personnel.

perrynative said:

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Riesel now in the cross hairs. The coal plant did not provide tax revenue that was projected.

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That is because the coal plant sued the appraisal district to lower their value. They won. The plant is valued very low for what it is.

Mr Tulip said:

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Yeah. Texas just goes ahead and rebates those taxes:

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/08/texas-data-centers-sales-tax-break-billion-dollars/

---

The state doesn't have a property tax. Local jurisdictions can give these data centers come some sort of break on property taxes, if they choose.

The state is giving the data centers a sales tax exemption. Of course, if the data centers build and buy whatever they need outside of Texas, the state doesn't get any sale tax revenue anyway.

Big12Bear said:

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Nonsense. They use way way way more than a golf course. And it's nonstop. I'm not even one of those eco loons, but these things are really bad by any metric that doesn't involve padding the coffers.

Neighboring Hill County has already put a moratorium on them, Many more to follow. But they are trying to ram these things through without proper vetting at lightning speed.

---

It depends on whom you talk to.

I don't trust political activists or propaganda.

I'd like to get the information myself. I am perfectly capable of examining water usage as I wrote a 61-page dissertation on the subject matter in 2003. I don't consider myself an expert by any means, but what I learned while researching for my dissertation is that sometimes claims are overstated for political use in this field - and sometimes they are understated for political use in this field.

I imagine it depends on the size of the project. I am quite aware of the Hill County project. It is a massive development. While it will flush cash into the Hill County economy for the time being, who knows what the long term gains or costs will be with an operation like this.

They're going to have to develop them somewhere unless people want to go back on technology 20 years, which some of us wouldn't complain about.

Volunteer said:

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Mr Tulip said:

---

Yeah. Texas just goes ahead and rebates those taxes:

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/08/texas-data-centers-sales-tax-break-billion-dollars/

---

The state doesn't have a property tax. Local jurisdictions can give these data centers come some sort of break on property taxes, if they choose.

The state is giving the data centers a sales tax exemption. Of course, if the data centers build and buy whatever they need outside of Texas, the state doesn't get any sale tax revenue anyway.

---

If they are buying it out of state and bringing it in for use in the data center, they would owe use tax (the companion to sales tax) on it absent the exemption.

Big12Bear said:

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Nonsense. They use way way way more than a golf course. And it's nonstop. I'm not even one of those eco loons, but these things are really bad by any metric that doesn't involve padding the coffers.

Neighboring Hill County has already put a moratorium on them, Many more to follow. But they are trying to ram these things through without proper vetting at lightning speed.

---

Assuming we are talking about closed loop cooling data centers (which almost all of these being built are), they don't even come close to using the amount of water a golf course does and its mostly in the initial fillup of the system, after that the water usage is very minimal (mostly restrooms, janitorial services, & landscaping).

Hill County also screwed themselves (and cost their taxpayers a lot of money) by placing an illegal moratorium on it (even after being advised it was illegal).

Redbrickbear said:

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Big12Bear said:

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Nonsense. They use way way way more than a golf course. And it's nonstop. I'm not even one of those eco loons, but these things are really bad by any metric that doesn't involve padding the coffers.

Neighboring Hill County has already put a moratorium on them, Many more to follow. But they are trying to ram these things through without proper vetting at lightning speed.

---

Not really.....they are in the same ballpark

[mid-sized data center can use over 100 million gallons annually, roughly equaling the consumption of 1,000 U.S. households.]

[A typical 18-hole golf course uses an average of 300,000 to 312,000 gallons of water daily, totaling over 90 million gallons per year]

Would be interesting to see how much Baylor uses....probably well over both of them

The real problem with Data centers is they are God awful ugly (but of course most of what modern architects build is ugly. And being close to any center like that is bad for human health...but of cause most industrial stuff is bad as well.

PS

All the Data centers in the country don't even come to a fraction of the water use that golf courses take up....

[On a national scale, U.S. golf courses consume over 500 billion gallons of water annually, whereas all U.S. data centers combined consumed about 17.4 billion gallons in 2023]

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What type of data center are you basing your "100 million gallons annually" number on? I don't think its based on any that are being built recently.

LIB,MR BEARS said:

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Jackson Bear said:

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Robert Wilson said:

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Aren't most of these data centers building their own power plant?

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I think the LL data center will generate its own power or at least a lot of it and will recycle waste water and not have to draw much water at all. That is why they are interested in partnering with Lacy Lakeview. LL can sell its waste water which the data center will treat and recycle much like a car wash does.

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I was told (no idea if it is true) that the closed water system is only closed up to a daily temp of 94 degrees. At that point they supposedly have to pull from an external water source.

---

This is not correct, thats not how closed loop systems work. However, I have no doubt that you heard that from somewhere. The amount of misinformation out there about data centers is insane, you should question everything you hear.

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5920573-openai-chinese-influence-operators/

OpenAI revealed Wednesday that influence operators, likely based in China, used ChatGPT accounts to push certain narratives about American artificial intelligence and technology policy debates.
In a report, published Wednesday, the AI firm said it discovered two clusters of ChatGPT accounts "likely originating" from China, one of which created social media comments and pictures alleging data center buildouts increased electricity prices for families in the US.

The second cluster, according to OpenAI, also published negative comments and images stating tariffs are "attempts to dominate technological competition." These prompts also allegedly instructed the model to not include Chinese President Xi Jinping, but only President Trump.
It also allegedly targeted OpenAI itself with allegations about compromised user data, the firm said, adding it was able to link multiple social media accounts to the cluster, and the ChatGPT accounts were banned.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington said they were not familiar with the specific allegations but "firmly oppose any groundless attacks or smears against China."

The report from a leading AI lab comes as speculation swirls in Washington over how Chinese operators could be impacting America's ongoing debate over AI, and the massive data centers needed to power the technology's development.
Various claims have surfaced in recent weeks about the alleged role of Chinese influence operators in broader backlash against data centers, which is being seen on federal, state and local levels. It is not clear the extent to which these operators could be acting.
Millionaire investor Kevin O'Leary went viral last month for claiming foreign interference associated with the Chinese government is partly to blame for the backlash against American data centers.

O'Leary said he saw a dramatic increase in social media messages about his Utah data center project last month, and when his team tracked the messages, some had the same IP addresses and suspected bot activity.
At least one official with the Trump administration and other Republican lawmakers have echoed, or at least sought more information, on these recent claims.
"Any place that's trying to build data centers is getting bombarded with foreign-directed propaganda to try to block these from being built," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox Business late last month.

Last week, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) along with Reps. John Joyce (R-Pa.) and Bob Latta (R-Ohio) sent a letter to the FBI and the co-chairs of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, requesting information about evidence that "strongly suggests" foreign influence campaigns.
"The fact that Chinese Communist Party-backed entities and other foreign adversaries may be attempting to influence decisions related to American data center infrastructure puts into perspective how serious of a fight we are in," the letter stated.
The spokesperson for the Chinese embassy further told The Hill China "believes in a people-centered approach to AI and advocates openness and inclusiveness to ensure AI is a force for good and for all," and touted the country's Global AI Governance Initiative.

In Corsicana, they have a 1 gigawatt data center (Riot Platforms) -- similar in size to the proposal for Waco

(A 100 megawatt data center consumes around 500,000 gallons of water per day)

So figure it's chewing through 5 million gallons of water per day?

They act like it's a closed loop facility because it discharges the water back into the reservoir. But that water exits the facility at 100 degrees

Something similar in Waco would be a disaster

Oh yah. it employs 165 people (they promised eventually 270 people)

As a data center -- Riot Platforms mostly mines bitcoins

I just don't see "mining bit coins" as providing a value to society

The Waco project is proposed to be using its own natural gas generated power but...

Do you really trust that?

nachothrasher said:

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In Corsicana, they have a 1 gigawatt data center (Riot Platforms) -- similar in size to the proposal for Waco

(A 100 megawatt data center consumes around 500,000 gallons of water per day)

So figure it's chewing through 5 million gallons of water per day?

They act like it's a closed loop facility because it discharges the water back into the reservoir. But that water exits the facility at 100 degrees

Something similar in Waco would be a disaster

Oh yah. it employs 165 people (they promised eventually 270 people)

As a data center -- Riot Platforms mostly mines bitcoins

I just don't see "mining bit coins" as providing a value to society

The Waco project is proposed to be using its own natural gas generated power but...

Do you really trust that?

---

That is not how a closed loop cooling system works.

Also, where did you get that a 100MW facility uses 500k gallons a day. That would be on the extreme side (by modern standards). However, say your astronomical number is correct, it would be about the equivalent of what a standard 18 hole golf course uses per day.

jt888 said:

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So many have fallen for the Chinese propaganda on data centers. They are vital, and Texas should be hoarding them all. Let's use them to end property taxes and drive energy to insanely cheap levels.

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Fortunately, it seems like a good chunk of the anti-data center people are starting to understand this. There are still several that are dug in no matter what (or are too stupid to realize thats whats happening), too bad they seem to be the loudest.

They like to go to city or county meetings and yell nonsense, then they get ignored. They get pissed because they are being ignored, but they also refuse to stop being ******ed. Its a vicious cycle.

It seems like a lot of the resistance and cautionary reflex is partially a pushback to what the centers largely do (AI) and not solely what they consume or displace physically to do it.

In August 2026, Governor Greg Abbott ordered a comprehensive audit and halted new power grid connections for pending data center projects through ERCOT. As part of this audit, developers are legally required to disclose their exact cooling technologies, water consumption, and water sources before they can connect to the grid.

broncko said:

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In August 2026, Governor Greg Abbott ordered a comprehensive audit and halted new power grid connections for pending data center projects through ERCOT. As part of this audit, developers are legally required to disclose their exact cooling technologies, water consumption, and water sources before they can connect to the grid.

---

We should be building as many data centers in Texas as possible. We should also ensure they aren't using resources dedicated to the public. Let them figure out how to get their own power and cooling needs, but make it easy to build here.

hodedofome said:

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broncko said:

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In August 2026, Governor Greg Abbott ordered a comprehensive audit and halted new power grid connections for pending data center projects through ERCOT. As part of this audit, developers are legally required to disclose their exact cooling technologies, water consumption, and water sources before they can connect to the grid.

---

We should be building as many data centers in Texas as possible. We should also ensure they aren't using resources dedicated to the public. Let them figure out how to get their own power and cooling needs, but make it easy to build here.

---

Good point.

I remember how many of them even promised they were going to be built with their own power sources and help reduce energy costs.... but then across the nation that has not been the reality.

broncko said:

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In August 2026, Governor Greg Abbott ordered a comprehensive audit and halted new power grid connections for pending data center projects through ERCOT. As part of this audit, developers are legally required to disclose their exact cooling technologies, water consumption, and water sources before they can connect to the grid.

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Good. Those few that are not already doing that, should be anyway. There is so much competition among data center companies, those that are out there cutting corners will get weeded out very quickly.

cowboycwr said:

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hodedofome said:

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broncko said:

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In August 2026, Governor Greg Abbott ordered a comprehensive audit and halted new power grid connections for pending data center projects through ERCOT. As part of this audit, developers are legally required to disclose their exact cooling technologies, water consumption, and water sources before they can connect to the grid.

---

We should be building as many data centers in Texas as possible. We should also ensure they aren't using resources dedicated to the public. Let them figure out how to get their own power and cooling needs, but make it easy to build here.

---

Good point.

I remember how many of them even promised they were going to be built with their own power sources and help reduce energy costs.... but then across the nation that has not been the reality.

---

Oh, you didn't create your own power after all? Guess those tax breaks went away too!

I should be a politician.

I do consulting work for at least 5 Texas counties where data centers are either under construction, or, the land has been purchased and the owners are going through the permit process. I have sat in countless hours of "public forum" listening to locals ***** and complain, bring out of date or blatantly incorrect information, scream, yell and sometimes, curse at commissioners.

I'm no expert but all 5 of my clients are giving zero abatements, they are stringently following ingress and egress protocols and permitting rules. They are requiring these owners to maximize their investment into what are largely semi-rural and poor counties.

As one county judge said to a room full of 120 anti-data center constituents, "if you wanna fuss at anyone, fuss at your neighbors who sold them the land." In one central Texas county, 3,000 acres was purchased by a holding company with intentions of building a data center, the purchase price was $26,000 per acre …….. who here would say no to that? That's $12-$14k over market!

I'm not saying I'd say no, or yes, but that's a tough offer to walk away from. The state could have and still can control SOME of the uses of land but I assure you, local governments cannot as long as it's legal. …. see Hill County and that colossal screw up that wasted $100k+ of their budgeted funds for the year.

Am I overly concerned that someone who lives outside the city limits who pays virtually no taxes to the local entity is going to be adjacent to a $100mm per year (or whatever) revenue generator for local schools, roads and fire/police, not necessarily, but I do have empathy for their situations.

beerman said:

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I do consulting work for at least 5 Texas counties where data centers are either under construction, or, the land has been purchased and the owners are going through the permit process. I have sat in countless hours of "public forum" listening to locals ***** and complain, bring out of date or blatantly incorrect information, scream, yell and sometimes, curse at commissioners.

I'm no expert but all 5 of my clients are giving zero abatements, they are stringently following ingress and egress protocols and permitting rules. They are requiring these owners to maximize their investment into what are largely semi-rural and poor counties.

As one county judge said to a room full of 120 anti-data center constituents, "if you wanna fuss at anyone, fuss at your neighbors who sold them the land." In one central Texas county, 3,000 acres was purchased by a holding company with intentions of building a data center, the purchase price was $26,000 per acre …….. who here would say no to that? That's $12-$14k over market!

I'm not saying I'd say no, or yes, but that's a tough offer to walk away from. The state could have and still can control SOME of the uses of land but I assure you, local governments cannot as long as it's legal. …. see Hill County and that colossal screw up that wasted $100k+ of their budgeted funds for the year.

Am I overly concerned that someone who lives outside the city limits who pays virtually no taxes to the local entity is going to be adjacent to a $100mm per year (or whatever) revenue generator for local schools, roads and fire/police, not necessarily, but I do have empathy for their situations.

---

The anti-data center people are getting fewer & fewer. Foreign money going to other areas now at election time and it was just a matter of time before people became educated on the topic. Not everyone was going to stay ignorant forever.

Texasjeremy said:

---

beerman said:

---

I do consulting work for at least 5 Texas counties where data centers are either under construction, or, the land has been purchased and the owners are going through the permit process. I have sat in countless hours of "public forum" listening to locals ***** and complain, bring out of date or blatantly incorrect information, scream, yell and sometimes, curse at commissioners.

I'm no expert but all 5 of my clients are giving zero abatements, they are stringently following ingress and egress protocols and permitting rules. They are requiring these owners to maximize their investment into what are largely semi-rural and poor counties.

As one county judge said to a room full of 120 anti-data center constituents, "if you wanna fuss at anyone, fuss at your neighbors who sold them the land." In one central Texas county, 3,000 acres was purchased by a holding company with intentions of building a data center, the purchase price was $26,000 per acre …….. who here would say no to that? That's $12-$14k over market!

I'm not saying I'd say no, or yes, but that's a tough offer to walk away from. The state could have and still can control SOME of the uses of land but I assure you, local governments cannot as long as it's legal. …. see Hill County and that colossal screw up that wasted $100k+ of their budgeted funds for the year.

Am I overly concerned that someone who lives outside the city limits who pays virtually no taxes to the local entity is going to be adjacent to a $100mm per year (or whatever) revenue generator for local schools, roads and fire/police, not necessarily, but I do have empathy for their situations.

---

The anti-data center people are getting fewer & fewer. Foreign money going to other areas now at election time and it was just a matter of time before people became educated on the topic. Not everyone was going to stay ignorant forever.

---

Part of the problem with data centers, at least to me, is that ANY opposition to them is labeled as anti data center, ignorant, etc. when MUCH of the criticism against them has been in valid areas like lack of job creation, lack of promises kept (water usage, electricity usage/generation), tax cuts (at a time when property taxes are skyrocketing, and lack of true increase in taxes collected for schools and local cities.

We need data centers. We just don't need all the above to happen

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

beerman said:

---

I do consulting work for at least 5 Texas counties where data centers are either under construction, or, the land has been purchased and the owners are going through the permit process. I have sat in countless hours of "public forum" listening to locals ***** and complain, bring out of date or blatantly incorrect information, scream, yell and sometimes, curse at commissioners.

I'm no expert but all 5 of my clients are giving zero abatements, they are stringently following ingress and egress protocols and permitting rules. They are requiring these owners to maximize their investment into what are largely semi-rural and poor counties.

As one county judge said to a room full of 120 anti-data center constituents, "if you wanna fuss at anyone, fuss at your neighbors who sold them the land." In one central Texas county, 3,000 acres was purchased by a holding company with intentions of building a data center, the purchase price was $26,000 per acre …….. who here would say no to that? That's $12-$14k over market!

I'm not saying I'd say no, or yes, but that's a tough offer to walk away from. The state could have and still can control SOME of the uses of land but I assure you, local governments cannot as long as it's legal. …. see Hill County and that colossal screw up that wasted $100k+ of their budgeted funds for the year.

Am I overly concerned that someone who lives outside the city limits who pays virtually no taxes to the local entity is going to be adjacent to a $100mm per year (or whatever) revenue generator for local schools, roads and fire/police, not necessarily, but I do have empathy for their situations.

---

The anti-data center people are getting fewer & fewer. Foreign money going to other areas now at election time and it was just a matter of time before people became educated on the topic. Not everyone was going to stay ignorant forever.

---

Part of the problem with data centers, at least to me, is that ANY opposition to them is labeled as anti data center, ignorant, etc. when MUCH of the criticism against them has been in valid areas like lack of job creation, lack of promises kept (water usage, electricity usage/generation), tax cuts (at a time when property taxes are skyrocketing, and lack of true increase in taxes collected for schools and local cities.

We need data centers. We just don't need all the above to happen

---

Please don't take this the wrong way, I mean no offense. That was a lot of the talking points, until people started understanding more about it. A LOT of people got sucked in & jumped in with both feet, without a clue what they were talking about, which led to a lot of confusion. It is a somewhat complex topic so that was understandable then. Now? If you are still being ignorant about it, it's because you want to be. There was an education gap, that is just about closed now. Most of that foreign money is dried up now for anti-data center groups & they are now on to other stuff, with it being election time.

It's been a weird few months. As an engineer with over 20 years experience with data centers, it was wild having old ladies that got fooled on Facebook trying to explain to me how bad they are. It was comical, but also sad.

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

beerman said:

---

I do consulting work for at least 5 Texas counties where data centers are either under construction, or, the land has been purchased and the owners are going through the permit process. I have sat in countless hours of "public forum" listening to locals ***** and complain, bring out of date or blatantly incorrect information, scream, yell and sometimes, curse at commissioners.

I'm no expert but all 5 of my clients are giving zero abatements, they are stringently following ingress and egress protocols and permitting rules. They are requiring these owners to maximize their investment into what are largely semi-rural and poor counties.

As one county judge said to a room full of 120 anti-data center constituents, "if you wanna fuss at anyone, fuss at your neighbors who sold them the land." In one central Texas county, 3,000 acres was purchased by a holding company with intentions of building a data center, the purchase price was $26,000 per acre …….. who here would say no to that? That's $12-$14k over market!

I'm not saying I'd say no, or yes, but that's a tough offer to walk away from. The state could have and still can control SOME of the uses of land but I assure you, local governments cannot as long as it's legal. …. see Hill County and that colossal screw up that wasted $100k+ of their budgeted funds for the year.

Am I overly concerned that someone who lives outside the city limits who pays virtually no taxes to the local entity is going to be adjacent to a $100mm per year (or whatever) revenue generator for local schools, roads and fire/police, not necessarily, but I do have empathy for their situations.

---

The anti-data center people are getting fewer & fewer. Foreign money going to other areas now at election time and it was just a matter of time before people became educated on the topic. Not everyone was going to stay ignorant forever.

---

Part of the problem with data centers, at least to me, is that ANY opposition to them is labeled as anti data center, ignorant, etc. when MUCH of the criticism against them has been in valid areas like lack of job creation, lack of promises kept (water usage, electricity usage/generation), tax cuts (at a time when property taxes are skyrocketing, and lack of true increase in taxes collected for schools and local cities.

We need data centers. We just don't need all the above to happen

---

Please don't take this the wrong way, I mean no offense. That was a lot of the talking points, until people started understanding more about it. A LOT of people got sucked in & jumped in with both feet, without a clue what they were talking about, which led to a lot of confusion. It is a somewhat complex topic so that was understandable then. Now? If you are still being ignorant about it, it's because you want to be. There was an education gap, that is just about closed now. Most of that foreign money is dried up now for anti-data center groups & they are now on to other stuff, with it being election time.

It's been a weird few months. As an engineer with over 20 years experience with data centers, it was wild having old ladies that got fooled on Facebook trying to explain to me how bad they are. It was comical, but also sad.

---

No the talking points were about noise, pollution, and the above which are all still valid.

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

beerman said:

---

I do consulting work for at least 5 Texas counties where data centers are either under construction, or, the land has been purchased and the owners are going through the permit process. I have sat in countless hours of "public forum" listening to locals ***** and complain, bring out of date or blatantly incorrect information, scream, yell and sometimes, curse at commissioners.

I'm no expert but all 5 of my clients are giving zero abatements, they are stringently following ingress and egress protocols and permitting rules. They are requiring these owners to maximize their investment into what are largely semi-rural and poor counties.

As one county judge said to a room full of 120 anti-data center constituents, "if you wanna fuss at anyone, fuss at your neighbors who sold them the land." In one central Texas county, 3,000 acres was purchased by a holding company with intentions of building a data center, the purchase price was $26,000 per acre …….. who here would say no to that? That's $12-$14k over market!

I'm not saying I'd say no, or yes, but that's a tough offer to walk away from. The state could have and still can control SOME of the uses of land but I assure you, local governments cannot as long as it's legal. …. see Hill County and that colossal screw up that wasted $100k+ of their budgeted funds for the year.

Am I overly concerned that someone who lives outside the city limits who pays virtually no taxes to the local entity is going to be adjacent to a $100mm per year (or whatever) revenue generator for local schools, roads and fire/police, not necessarily, but I do have empathy for their situations.

---

The anti-data center people are getting fewer & fewer. Foreign money going to other areas now at election time and it was just a matter of time before people became educated on the topic. Not everyone was going to stay ignorant forever.

---

Part of the problem with data centers, at least to me, is that ANY opposition to them is labeled as anti data center, ignorant, etc. when MUCH of the criticism against them has been in valid areas like lack of job creation, lack of promises kept (water usage, electricity usage/generation), tax cuts (at a time when property taxes are skyrocketing, and lack of true increase in taxes collected for schools and local cities.

We need data centers. We just don't need all the above to happen

---

Please don't take this the wrong way, I mean no offense. That was a lot of the talking points, until people started understanding more about it. A LOT of people got sucked in & jumped in with both feet, without a clue what they were talking about, which led to a lot of confusion. It is a somewhat complex topic so that was understandable then. Now? If you are still being ignorant about it, it's because you want to be. There was an education gap, that is just about closed now. Most of that foreign money is dried up now for anti-data center groups & they are now on to other stuff, with it being election time.

It's been a weird few months. As an engineer with over 20 years experience with data centers, it was wild having old ladies that got fooled on Facebook trying to explain to me how bad they are. It was comical, but also sad.

---

No the talking points were about noise, pollution, and the above which are all still valid.

---

They are valid, only for the uneducated (on the topic). Thankfully, those concerns are unwarranted. Just because people lack understanding, doesn't make it a problem.

Only legitimate concern is power usage. They do use a lot of power. However, our grid needs to be upgraded anyway, just with the sheer number of people moving to Texas.

For a couple of months, anytime there was talk of upgrading infrastructure anywhere in the US, there would be a group pop up to try to slow it down.

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

beerman said:

---

I do consulting work for at least 5 Texas counties where data centers are either under construction, or, the land has been purchased and the owners are going through the permit process. I have sat in countless hours of "public forum" listening to locals ***** and complain, bring out of date or blatantly incorrect information, scream, yell and sometimes, curse at commissioners.

I'm no expert but all 5 of my clients are giving zero abatements, they are stringently following ingress and egress protocols and permitting rules. They are requiring these owners to maximize their investment into what are largely semi-rural and poor counties.

As one county judge said to a room full of 120 anti-data center constituents, "if you wanna fuss at anyone, fuss at your neighbors who sold them the land." In one central Texas county, 3,000 acres was purchased by a holding company with intentions of building a data center, the purchase price was $26,000 per acre …….. who here would say no to that? That's $12-$14k over market!

I'm not saying I'd say no, or yes, but that's a tough offer to walk away from. The state could have and still can control SOME of the uses of land but I assure you, local governments cannot as long as it's legal. …. see Hill County and that colossal screw up that wasted $100k+ of their budgeted funds for the year.

Am I overly concerned that someone who lives outside the city limits who pays virtually no taxes to the local entity is going to be adjacent to a $100mm per year (or whatever) revenue generator for local schools, roads and fire/police, not necessarily, but I do have empathy for their situations.

---

The anti-data center people are getting fewer & fewer. Foreign money going to other areas now at election time and it was just a matter of time before people became educated on the topic. Not everyone was going to stay ignorant forever.

---

Part of the problem with data centers, at least to me, is that ANY opposition to them is labeled as anti data center, ignorant, etc. when MUCH of the criticism against them has been in valid areas like lack of job creation, lack of promises kept (water usage, electricity usage/generation), tax cuts (at a time when property taxes are skyrocketing, and lack of true increase in taxes collected for schools and local cities.

We need data centers. We just don't need all the above to happen

---

Please don't take this the wrong way, I mean no offense. That was a lot of the talking points, until people started understanding more about it. A LOT of people got sucked in & jumped in with both feet, without a clue what they were talking about, which led to a lot of confusion. It is a somewhat complex topic so that was understandable then. Now? If you are still being ignorant about it, it's because you want to be. There was an education gap, that is just about closed now. Most of that foreign money is dried up now for anti-data center groups & they are now on to other stuff, with it being election time.

It's been a weird few months. As an engineer with over 20 years experience with data centers, it was wild having old ladies that got fooled on Facebook trying to explain to me how bad they are. It was comical, but also sad.

---

No the talking points were about noise, pollution, and the above which are all still valid.

---

They are valid, only for the uneducated (on the topic). Thankfully, those concerns are unwarranted. Just because people lack understanding, doesn't make it a problem.

Only legitimate concern is power usage. They do use a lot of power. However, our grid needs to be upgraded anyway, just with the sheer number of people moving to Texas.

For a couple of months, anytime there was talk of upgrading infrastructure anywhere in the US, there would be a group pop up to try to slow it down.

---

No they are valid because they are true. Data centers do not provide jobs. They employ very few and usually those are people brought in, not current residents. This has been proven time and time again.

They use a lot of power. Even when they have been supposed to generate their own power.

They have used a lot of water, even when they were supposed to reuse water.

They have gotten tax breaks. They have not generated their own power amount of tax projected.

This has all been documented but it is always dismissed by those pushing data centers as people being "uneducated"

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

beerman said:

---

I do consulting work for at least 5 Texas counties where data centers are either under construction, or, the land has been purchased and the owners are going through the permit process. I have sat in countless hours of "public forum" listening to locals ***** and complain, bring out of date or blatantly incorrect information, scream, yell and sometimes, curse at commissioners.

I'm no expert but all 5 of my clients are giving zero abatements, they are stringently following ingress and egress protocols and permitting rules. They are requiring these owners to maximize their investment into what are largely semi-rural and poor counties.

As one county judge said to a room full of 120 anti-data center constituents, "if you wanna fuss at anyone, fuss at your neighbors who sold them the land." In one central Texas county, 3,000 acres was purchased by a holding company with intentions of building a data center, the purchase price was $26,000 per acre …….. who here would say no to that? That's $12-$14k over market!

I'm not saying I'd say no, or yes, but that's a tough offer to walk away from. The state could have and still can control SOME of the uses of land but I assure you, local governments cannot as long as it's legal. …. see Hill County and that colossal screw up that wasted $100k+ of their budgeted funds for the year.

Am I overly concerned that someone who lives outside the city limits who pays virtually no taxes to the local entity is going to be adjacent to a $100mm per year (or whatever) revenue generator for local schools, roads and fire/police, not necessarily, but I do have empathy for their situations.

---

The anti-data center people are getting fewer & fewer. Foreign money going to other areas now at election time and it was just a matter of time before people became educated on the topic. Not everyone was going to stay ignorant forever.

---

Part of the problem with data centers, at least to me, is that ANY opposition to them is labeled as anti data center, ignorant, etc. when MUCH of the criticism against them has been in valid areas like lack of job creation, lack of promises kept (water usage, electricity usage/generation), tax cuts (at a time when property taxes are skyrocketing, and lack of true increase in taxes collected for schools and local cities.

We need data centers. We just don't need all the above to happen

---

Please don't take this the wrong way, I mean no offense. That was a lot of the talking points, until people started understanding more about it. A LOT of people got sucked in & jumped in with both feet, without a clue what they were talking about, which led to a lot of confusion. It is a somewhat complex topic so that was understandable then. Now? If you are still being ignorant about it, it's because you want to be. There was an education gap, that is just about closed now. Most of that foreign money is dried up now for anti-data center groups & they are now on to other stuff, with it being election time.

It's been a weird few months. As an engineer with over 20 years experience with data centers, it was wild having old ladies that got fooled on Facebook trying to explain to me how bad they are. It was comical, but also sad.

---

No the talking points were about noise, pollution, and the above which are all still valid.

---

They are valid, only for the uneducated (on the topic). Thankfully, those concerns are unwarranted. Just because people lack understanding, doesn't make it a problem.

Only legitimate concern is power usage. They do use a lot of power. However, our grid needs to be upgraded anyway, just with the sheer number of people moving to Texas.

For a couple of months, anytime there was talk of upgrading infrastructure anywhere in the US, there would be a group pop up to try to slow it down.

---

No they are valid because they are true. Data centers do not provide jobs. They employ very few and usually those are people brought in, not current residents. This has been proven time and time again.

They use a lot of power. Even when they have been supposed to generate their own power.

They have used a lot of water, even when they were supposed to reuse water.

They have gotten tax breaks. They have not generated their own power amount of tax projected.

This has all been documented but it is always dismissed by those pushing data centers as people being "uneducated"

---

Jobs
Obviously the amount of jobs depend on the size of the data center. Permanent jobs could be dozens, could be hundreds. Most high paying. The amount of local people getting those jobs is a direct result of how many qualified people there are in the area. Add that to what is usually thousands of construction jobs up front & support services to maintain.

Power
They use power. Most do create their own power, until oncor can generate enough power. They know exactly how much power they use, if the capacity is not there they have to do it themselves. They don't just flip the switch & hope for the best.

Water
***? Which building uses "a lot of water"? What do you know about the difference between evaporative cooling & closed loop cooling?

Tax breaks
Usually they get some kind of break for the first few years, you know while construction is going on & they are generating a lot of sales tax revenue for an area. Then when that runs out, it can be a lot of tax money. A tax break does not equal no taxes.

People get dismissed for being "uneducated", because they usually are & absolutely refuse to stop spouting nonsense. They get ignored.

No offense, but at this point, if you are still so clueless, it's because you want to be. I have less sympathy for someone that refuses to understand a topic they think they are do passionate about.

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

beerman said:

---

I do consulting work for at least 5 Texas counties where data centers are either under construction, or, the land has been purchased and the owners are going through the permit process. I have sat in countless hours of "public forum" listening to locals ***** and complain, bring out of date or blatantly incorrect information, scream, yell and sometimes, curse at commissioners.

I'm no expert but all 5 of my clients are giving zero abatements, they are stringently following ingress and egress protocols and permitting rules. They are requiring these owners to maximize their investment into what are largely semi-rural and poor counties.

As one county judge said to a room full of 120 anti-data center constituents, "if you wanna fuss at anyone, fuss at your neighbors who sold them the land." In one central Texas county, 3,000 acres was purchased by a holding company with intentions of building a data center, the purchase price was $26,000 per acre …….. who here would say no to that? That's $12-$14k over market!

I'm not saying I'd say no, or yes, but that's a tough offer to walk away from. The state could have and still can control SOME of the uses of land but I assure you, local governments cannot as long as it's legal. …. see Hill County and that colossal screw up that wasted $100k+ of their budgeted funds for the year.

Am I overly concerned that someone who lives outside the city limits who pays virtually no taxes to the local entity is going to be adjacent to a $100mm per year (or whatever) revenue generator for local schools, roads and fire/police, not necessarily, but I do have empathy for their situations.

---

The anti-data center people are getting fewer & fewer. Foreign money going to other areas now at election time and it was just a matter of time before people became educated on the topic. Not everyone was going to stay ignorant forever.

---

Part of the problem with data centers, at least to me, is that ANY opposition to them is labeled as anti data center, ignorant, etc. when MUCH of the criticism against them has been in valid areas like lack of job creation, lack of promises kept (water usage, electricity usage/generation), tax cuts (at a time when property taxes are skyrocketing, and lack of true increase in taxes collected for schools and local cities.

We need data centers. We just don't need all the above to happen

---

Please don't take this the wrong way, I mean no offense. That was a lot of the talking points, until people started understanding more about it. A LOT of people got sucked in & jumped in with both feet, without a clue what they were talking about, which led to a lot of confusion. It is a somewhat complex topic so that was understandable then. Now? If you are still being ignorant about it, it's because you want to be. There was an education gap, that is just about closed now. Most of that foreign money is dried up now for anti-data center groups & they are now on to other stuff, with it being election time.

It's been a weird few months. As an engineer with over 20 years experience with data centers, it was wild having old ladies that got fooled on Facebook trying to explain to me how bad they are. It was comical, but also sad.

---

No the talking points were about noise, pollution, and the above which are all still valid.

---

They are valid, only for the uneducated (on the topic). Thankfully, those concerns are unwarranted. Just because people lack understanding, doesn't make it a problem.

Only legitimate concern is power usage. They do use a lot of power. However, our grid needs to be upgraded anyway, just with the sheer number of people moving to Texas.

For a couple of months, anytime there was talk of upgrading infrastructure anywhere in the US, there would be a group pop up to try to slow it down.

---

No they are valid because they are true. Data centers do not provide jobs. They employ very few and usually those are people brought in, not current residents. This has been proven time and time again.

They use a lot of power. Even when they have been supposed to generate their own power.

They have used a lot of water, even when they were supposed to reuse water.

They have gotten tax breaks. They have not generated their own power amount of tax projected.

This has all been documented but it is always dismissed by those pushing data centers as people being "uneducated"

---

Jobs
Obviously the amount of jobs depend on the size of the data center. Permanent jobs could be dozens, could be hundreds. Most high paying. The amount of local people getting those jobs is a direct result of how many qualified people there are in the area. Add that to what is usually thousands of construction jobs up front & support services to maintain.

Power
They use power. Most do create their own power, until oncor can generate enough power. They know exactly how much power they use, if the capacity is not there they have to do it themselves. They don't just flip the switch & hope for the best.

Water
***? Which building uses "a lot of water"? What do you know about the difference between evaporative cooling & closed loop cooling?

Tax breaks
Usually they get some kind of break for the first few years, you know while construction is going on & they are generating a lot of sales tax revenue for an area. Then when that runs out, it can be a lot of tax money. A tax break does not equal no taxes.

People get dismissed for being "uneducated", because they usually are & absolutely refuse to stop spouting nonsense. They get ignored.

No offense, but at this point, if you are still so clueless, it's because you want to be. I have less sympathy for someone that refuses to understand a topic they think they are do passionate about.

---

Sorry but you are the uneducated one. I could start providing the evidence and you would find a way to still dismiss it.

Everything I have said is 100% fact.

You have none and keep spouting talking points with no facts to back them up and keep going back to the uneducated part. Which is a clear sign you have no facts that all you can do is name call.

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

beerman said:

---

I do consulting work for at least 5 Texas counties where data centers are either under construction, or, the land has been purchased and the owners are going through the permit process. I have sat in countless hours of "public forum" listening to locals ***** and complain, bring out of date or blatantly incorrect information, scream, yell and sometimes, curse at commissioners.

I'm no expert but all 5 of my clients are giving zero abatements, they are stringently following ingress and egress protocols and permitting rules. They are requiring these owners to maximize their investment into what are largely semi-rural and poor counties.

As one county judge said to a room full of 120 anti-data center constituents, "if you wanna fuss at anyone, fuss at your neighbors who sold them the land." In one central Texas county, 3,000 acres was purchased by a holding company with intentions of building a data center, the purchase price was $26,000 per acre …….. who here would say no to that? That's $12-$14k over market!

I'm not saying I'd say no, or yes, but that's a tough offer to walk away from. The state could have and still can control SOME of the uses of land but I assure you, local governments cannot as long as it's legal. …. see Hill County and that colossal screw up that wasted $100k+ of their budgeted funds for the year.

Am I overly concerned that someone who lives outside the city limits who pays virtually no taxes to the local entity is going to be adjacent to a $100mm per year (or whatever) revenue generator for local schools, roads and fire/police, not necessarily, but I do have empathy for their situations.

---

The anti-data center people are getting fewer & fewer. Foreign money going to other areas now at election time and it was just a matter of time before people became educated on the topic. Not everyone was going to stay ignorant forever.

---

Part of the problem with data centers, at least to me, is that ANY opposition to them is labeled as anti data center, ignorant, etc. when MUCH of the criticism against them has been in valid areas like lack of job creation, lack of promises kept (water usage, electricity usage/generation), tax cuts (at a time when property taxes are skyrocketing, and lack of true increase in taxes collected for schools and local cities.

We need data centers. We just don't need all the above to happen

---

Please don't take this the wrong way, I mean no offense. That was a lot of the talking points, until people started understanding more about it. A LOT of people got sucked in & jumped in with both feet, without a clue what they were talking about, which led to a lot of confusion. It is a somewhat complex topic so that was understandable then. Now? If you are still being ignorant about it, it's because you want to be. There was an education gap, that is just about closed now. Most of that foreign money is dried up now for anti-data center groups & they are now on to other stuff, with it being election time.

It's been a weird few months. As an engineer with over 20 years experience with data centers, it was wild having old ladies that got fooled on Facebook trying to explain to me how bad they are. It was comical, but also sad.

---

No the talking points were about noise, pollution, and the above which are all still valid.

---

They are valid, only for the uneducated (on the topic). Thankfully, those concerns are unwarranted. Just because people lack understanding, doesn't make it a problem.

Only legitimate concern is power usage. They do use a lot of power. However, our grid needs to be upgraded anyway, just with the sheer number of people moving to Texas.

For a couple of months, anytime there was talk of upgrading infrastructure anywhere in the US, there would be a group pop up to try to slow it down.

---

No they are valid because they are true. Data centers do not provide jobs. They employ very few and usually those are people brought in, not current residents. This has been proven time and time again.

They use a lot of power. Even when they have been supposed to generate their own power.

They have used a lot of water, even when they were supposed to reuse water.

They have gotten tax breaks. They have not generated their own power amount of tax projected.

This has all been documented but it is always dismissed by those pushing data centers as people being "uneducated"

---

Jobs
Obviously the amount of jobs depend on the size of the data center. Permanent jobs could be dozens, could be hundreds. Most high paying. The amount of local people getting those jobs is a direct result of how many qualified people there are in the area. Add that to what is usually thousands of construction jobs up front & support services to maintain.

Power
They use power. Most do create their own power, until oncor can generate enough power. They know exactly how much power they use, if the capacity is not there they have to do it themselves. They don't just flip the switch & hope for the best.

Water
***? Which building uses "a lot of water"? What do you know about the difference between evaporative cooling & closed loop cooling?

Tax breaks
Usually they get some kind of break for the first few years, you know while construction is going on & they are generating a lot of sales tax revenue for an area. Then when that runs out, it can be a lot of tax money. A tax break does not equal no taxes.

People get dismissed for being "uneducated", because they usually are & absolutely refuse to stop spouting nonsense. They get ignored.

No offense, but at this point, if you are still so clueless, it's because you want to be. I have less sympathy for someone that refuses to understand a topic they think they are do passionate about.

---

Sorry but you are the uneducated one. I could start providing the evidence and you would find a way to still dismiss it.

Everything I have said is 100% fact.

You have none and keep spouting talking points with no facts to back them up and keep going back to the uneducated part. Which is a clear sign you have no facts that all you can do is name call.

---

This is what I do for a living (and have for a really long time). I assure you that I am not the "uneducated one" here. It's frustrating to see people that think they're an expert with facts, because they saw a fake social media article. Data centers have been around for at least 40 years, this is not something new, even if you just found out about them in the past few months.

What in particular would you like to know?

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

beerman said:

---

I do consulting work for at least 5 Texas counties where data centers are either under construction, or, the land has been purchased and the owners are going through the permit process. I have sat in countless hours of "public forum" listening to locals ***** and complain, bring out of date or blatantly incorrect information, scream, yell and sometimes, curse at commissioners.

I'm no expert but all 5 of my clients are giving zero abatements, they are stringently following ingress and egress protocols and permitting rules. They are requiring these owners to maximize their investment into what are largely semi-rural and poor counties.

As one county judge said to a room full of 120 anti-data center constituents, "if you wanna fuss at anyone, fuss at your neighbors who sold them the land." In one central Texas county, 3,000 acres was purchased by a holding company with intentions of building a data center, the purchase price was $26,000 per acre …….. who here would say no to that? That's $12-$14k over market!

I'm not saying I'd say no, or yes, but that's a tough offer to walk away from. The state could have and still can control SOME of the uses of land but I assure you, local governments cannot as long as it's legal. …. see Hill County and that colossal screw up that wasted $100k+ of their budgeted funds for the year.

Am I overly concerned that someone who lives outside the city limits who pays virtually no taxes to the local entity is going to be adjacent to a $100mm per year (or whatever) revenue generator for local schools, roads and fire/police, not necessarily, but I do have empathy for their situations.

---

The anti-data center people are getting fewer & fewer. Foreign money going to other areas now at election time and it was just a matter of time before people became educated on the topic. Not everyone was going to stay ignorant forever.

---

Part of the problem with data centers, at least to me, is that ANY opposition to them is labeled as anti data center, ignorant, etc. when MUCH of the criticism against them has been in valid areas like lack of job creation, lack of promises kept (water usage, electricity usage/generation), tax cuts (at a time when property taxes are skyrocketing, and lack of true increase in taxes collected for schools and local cities.

We need data centers. We just don't need all the above to happen

---

Please don't take this the wrong way, I mean no offense. That was a lot of the talking points, until people started understanding more about it. A LOT of people got sucked in & jumped in with both feet, without a clue what they were talking about, which led to a lot of confusion. It is a somewhat complex topic so that was understandable then. Now? If you are still being ignorant about it, it's because you want to be. There was an education gap, that is just about closed now. Most of that foreign money is dried up now for anti-data center groups & they are now on to other stuff, with it being election time.

It's been a weird few months. As an engineer with over 20 years experience with data centers, it was wild having old ladies that got fooled on Facebook trying to explain to me how bad they are. It was comical, but also sad.

---

No the talking points were about noise, pollution, and the above which are all still valid.

---

They are valid, only for the uneducated (on the topic). Thankfully, those concerns are unwarranted. Just because people lack understanding, doesn't make it a problem.

Only legitimate concern is power usage. They do use a lot of power. However, our grid needs to be upgraded anyway, just with the sheer number of people moving to Texas.

For a couple of months, anytime there was talk of upgrading infrastructure anywhere in the US, there would be a group pop up to try to slow it down.

---

No they are valid because they are true. Data centers do not provide jobs. They employ very few and usually those are people brought in, not current residents. This has been proven time and time again.

They use a lot of power. Even when they have been supposed to generate their own power.

They have used a lot of water, even when they were supposed to reuse water.

They have gotten tax breaks. They have not generated their own power amount of tax projected.

This has all been documented but it is always dismissed by those pushing data centers as people being "uneducated"

---

Jobs
Obviously the amount of jobs depend on the size of the data center. Permanent jobs could be dozens, could be hundreds. Most high paying. The amount of local people getting those jobs is a direct result of how many qualified people there are in the area. Add that to what is usually thousands of construction jobs up front & support services to maintain.

Power
They use power. Most do create their own power, until oncor can generate enough power. They know exactly how much power they use, if the capacity is not there they have to do it themselves. They don't just flip the switch & hope for the best.

Water
***? Which building uses "a lot of water"? What do you know about the difference between evaporative cooling & closed loop cooling?

Tax breaks
Usually they get some kind of break for the first few years, you know while construction is going on & they are generating a lot of sales tax revenue for an area. Then when that runs out, it can be a lot of tax money. A tax break does not equal no taxes.

People get dismissed for being "uneducated", because they usually are & absolutely refuse to stop spouting nonsense. They get ignored.

No offense, but at this point, if you are still so clueless, it's because you want to be. I have less sympathy for someone that refuses to understand a topic they think they are do passionate about.

---

Sorry but you are the uneducated one. I could start providing the evidence and you would find a way to still dismiss it.

Everything I have said is 100% fact.

You have none and keep spouting talking points with no facts to back them up and keep going back to the uneducated part. Which is a clear sign you have no facts that all you can do is name call.

---

This is what I do for a living (and have for a really long time). I assure you that I am not the "uneducated one" here. It's frustrating to see people that think they're an expert with facts, because they saw a fake social media article.

What in particular would you like to know?

---

So because you do this for a living you know about every data center??? Wow you must be the world upmost expert on data centers.

I am not talking social media posts. News articles that provide facts.

The jobs thing is a joke. You even proved my point about how they aren't going to locals. But data centers always try to trumpet how they create jobs. But they don't. Not for the area they move to. The construction jobs are outsiders. The jobs after the fact are outsiders.

So yeah what I said was 100% facts but your "educated ass" knows more. Whatever. Clearly you don't.

Which one uses a lot of water??? Is this a serious question? That shows you are talking out your ass as a pusher of data centers.

There is an entire thread on the R&P board FULL of news articles showing the facts on data centers.

Go read it and educate yourself on the truth that your employer hides from you and your eyes refuse to see because it goes against your job.

Welcome to ignore. I'm done with you. All you have is talking points and attacks.

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

cowboycwr said:

---

Texasjeremy said:

---

beerman said:

---

I do consulting work for at least 5 Texas counties where data centers are either under construction, or, the land has been purchased and the owners are going through the permit process. I have sat in countless hours of "public forum" listening to locals ***** and complain, bring out of date or blatantly incorrect information, scream, yell and sometimes, curse at commissioners.

I'm no expert but all 5 of my clients are giving zero abatements, they are stringently following ingress and egress protocols and permitting rules. They are requiring these owners to maximize their investment into what are largely semi-rural and poor counties.

As one county judge said to a room full of 120 anti-data center constituents, "if you wanna fuss at anyone, fuss at your neighbors who sold them the land." In one central Texas county, 3,000 acres was purchased by a holding company with intentions of building a data center, the purchase price was $26,000 per acre …….. who here would say no to that? That's $12-$14k over market!

I'm not saying I'd say no, or yes, but that's a tough offer to walk away from. The state could have and still can control SOME of the uses of land but I assure you, local governments cannot as long as it's legal. …. see Hill County and that colossal screw up that wasted $100k+ of their budgeted funds for the year.

Am I overly concerned that someone who lives outside the city limits who pays virtually no taxes to the local entity is going to be adjacent to a $100mm per year (or whatever) revenue generator for local schools, roads and fire/police, not necessarily, but I do have empathy for their situations.

---

The anti-data center people are getting fewer & fewer. Foreign money going to other areas now at election time and it was just a matter of time before people became educated on the topic. Not everyone was going to stay ignorant forever.

---

Part of the problem with data centers, at least to me, is that ANY opposition to them is labeled as anti data center, ignorant, etc. when MUCH of the criticism against them has been in valid areas like lack of job creation, lack of promises kept (water usage, electricity usage/generation), tax cuts (at a time when property taxes are skyrocketing, and lack of true increase in taxes collected for schools and local cities.

We need data centers. We just don't need all the above to happen

---

Please don't take this the wrong way, I mean no offense. That was a lot of the talking points, until people started understanding more about it. A LOT of people got sucked in & jumped in with both feet, without a clue what they were talking about, which led to a lot of confusion. It is a somewhat complex topic so that was understandable then. Now? If you are still being ignorant about it, it's because you want to be. There was an education gap, that is just about closed now. Most of that foreign money is dried up now for anti-data center groups & they are now on to other stuff, with it being election time.

It's been a weird few months. As an engineer with over 20 years experience with data centers, it was wild having old ladies that got fooled on Facebook trying to explain to me how bad they are. It was comical, but also sad.

---

No the talking points were about noise, pollution, and the above which are all still valid.

---

They are valid, only for the uneducated (on the topic). Thankfully, those concerns are unwarranted. Just because people lack understanding, doesn't make it a problem.

Only legitimate concern is power usage. They do use a lot of power. However, our grid needs to be upgraded anyway, just with the sheer number of people moving to Texas.

For a couple of months, anytime there was talk of upgrading infrastructure anywhere in the US, there would be a group pop up to try to slow it down.

---

No they are valid because they are true. Data centers do not provide jobs. They employ very few and usually those are people brought in, not current residents. This has been proven time and time again.

They use a lot of power. Even when they have been supposed to generate their own power.

They have used a lot of water, even when they were supposed to reuse water.

They have gotten tax breaks. They have not generated their own power amount of tax projected.

This has all been documented but it is always dismissed by those pushing data centers as people being "uneducated"

---

Jobs
Obviously the amount of jobs depend on the size of the data center. Permanent jobs could be dozens, could be hundreds. Most high paying. The amount of local people getting those jobs is a direct result of how many qualified people there are in the area. Add that to what is usually thousands of construction jobs up front & support services to maintain.

Power
They use power. Most do create their own power, until oncor can generate enough power. They know exactly how much power they use, if the capacity is not there they have to do it themselves. They don't just flip the switch & hope for the best.

Water
***? Which building uses "a lot of water"? What do you know about the difference between evaporative cooling & closed loop cooling?

Tax breaks
Usually they get some kind of break for the first few years, you know while construction is going on & they are generating a lot of sales tax revenue for an area. Then when that runs out, it can be a lot of tax money. A tax break does not equal no taxes.

People get dismissed for being "uneducated", because they usually are & absolutely refuse to stop spouting nonsense. They get ignored.

No offense, but at this point, if you are still so clueless, it's because you want to be. I have less sympathy for someone that refuses to understand a topic they think they are do passionate about.

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Sorry but you are the uneducated one. I could start providing the evidence and you would find a way to still dismiss it.

Everything I have said is 100% fact.

You have none and keep spouting talking points with no facts to back them up and keep going back to the uneducated part. Which is a clear sign you have no facts that all you can do is name call.

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This is what I do for a living (and have for a really long time). I assure you that I am not the "uneducated one" here. It's frustrating to see people that think they're an expert with facts, because they saw a fake social media article.

What in particular would you like to know?

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So because you do this for a living you know about every data center??? Wow you must be the world upmost expert on data centers.

I am not talking social media posts. News articles that provide facts.

The jobs thing is a joke. You even proved my point about how they aren't going to locals. But data centers always try to trumpet how they create jobs. But they don't. Not for the area they move to. The construction jobs are outsiders. The jobs after the fact are outsiders.

So yeah what I said was 100% facts but your "educated ass" knows more. Whatever. Clearly you don't.

Which one uses a lot of water??? Is this a serious question? That shows you are talking out your ass as a pusher of data centers.

There is an entire thread on the R&P board FULL of news articles showing the facts on data centers.

Go read it and educate yourself on the truth that your employer hides from you and your eyes refuse to see because it goes against your job.

Welcome to ignore. I'm done with you. All you have is talking points and attacks.

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Wow. Calm down. Which data center in particular do you want to discuss? Surely you can talk in specifics, right? Can have an engineering design discussion if you would like, I am guessing you don't.

Which one uses "a lot of water"? Which cooling system type is it? How old is it? Where is it located? Do you even know?

Did you say the R&P board is full of news articles, showing facts. ***? Dude. You can't be serious.

Look. I am sorry that I hurt your feelings, but placating nonsense is also not the answer.