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Fort Worth City Council calls for pause on data centers
Residents of Fort Worth have been pushing back against data center construction this week, and now several Fort Worth City Council members are joining them. FOX 4's Dionne Anglin has more.
FORT WORTH, Texas - Five Fort Worth City Council members are calling for a temporary pause on the construction of new data centers within the city limits.
It’s the latest in the ongoing debate about data centers in Tarrant County.
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Fort Worth leaders want to pause data center work
Five Fort Worth city council members are calling for a temporary pause on the construction of new data centers within the city limits.
What we know:
The city of Fort Worth has four existing data centers with plans to build at least four more.
But there have been two recent public meetings about the developments where residents have shared concerns.
Because of that, Council members Carlos Flores, Mia Hall, Chris Nettles, Elizabeth Beck, and Jeanette Martinez believe additional conversations are necessary.
They want a temporary moratorium on new data centers to give the council time to discuss and refine regulations.
Fort Worth officials vote against data center zoning rules after residents voice concerns
Fort Worth zoning officials rejected proposed recommendations for data centers built in the city on Wednesday after spending the day listening to resident concerns.
What they're saying:
In a news release issued Thursday, the five council members said they are aware that data centers can help the local economy, but they want to be cautious moving forward with new construction due to the residents’ concerns.
They said there are multiple reasons data centers can be harmful to communities, including noise pollution, water and energy consumption, and infrastructure demand.
"We believe it is far more important to get these regulations right than rushed," they said. "We are requesting additional time for research and stakeholder engagement, so Fort Worth can adopt regulations that thoughtfully balance economic opportunity with the protection of our residents, neighborhoods, natural resources, and critical infrastructure."
Fort Worth City Councilmember Elizabeth Beck
FOX 4's Dionne Anglin spoke to Fort Worth City Councilmember Elizabeth Beck, one of the five members to sign the letter, about the data center moratorium request.
"We are on the front end of data centers, which is exactly where I think we should be," Beck said. "And that’s one thing I want our residents to take away, is that we truly are trying to be proactive and have these regulations in place before these data centers proliferate across our community."
"Whether that be for transportation, healthcare daily banking needs or AI, we know the need for data centers is going to increase. We’d like to make sure we get it right here in the city of Fort Worth."
What's next:
The Fort Worth City Council is expected to continue the debate during upcoming work sessions and meetings.
The Source: The information in this story comes from a news release sent out by five Fort Worth council members, plus past news coverage.