Delivering For You

Data centers themselves aren’t new. They’ve powered the internet for decades, but for most of that time, they operated on a far smaller scale. What we’re seeing today is something entirely different 

Driven by the recent boom in artificial intelligence and cloud computing, demand for computing power has skyrocketed. In response, Donald Trump signed an Executive Order "to facilitate the rapid and efficient buildout of [artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and infrastructure that powers them] by easing Federal regulatory burdens” and tech companies are racing to construct massive “hyperscale” data centers. These facilities are so large they can span hundreds of thousands of square feet. Such projects are moving quickly, backed by enormous private investments and often pushed through approval processes before communities fully understand what they’re agreeing to. 

Supporters argue these facilities are essential, and to be fair, they power many of the services people rely on daily, from banking and navigation, to streaming, communication, and cloud storage. They can also bring construction jobs, a handful of permanent positions, and additional tax revenue.

But those benefits do not tell the whole story. 

Hyperscale data centers are among the most resource-intensive facilities being built today. Their electricity demands are staggering, with some consuming as much energy as entire small cities. As utilities scramble to expand capacity, many residents are concerned that the cost of upgrading infrastructure and meeting rising demand could ultimately lead to higher, unsustainable electricity bills for working families.

Water use presents another major concern, especially in drought-prone communities like El Paso. Many large data centers rely on extensive cooling systems that can consume hundreds of thousands, and in some cases millions, of gallons of water each day. In a community where residents already face strict conservation measures and persistent drought conditions, dedicating massive amounts of water to private industrial operations raises serious questions about sustainability and fairness.

There are also significant health and environmental concerns. To avoid outages, many data centers rely on diesel or natural gas backup generations. Even if reserved for emergencies, these generators still release pollutants that can harm air quality and contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses for nearby residents. To generate the electricity they need, data centers in our community plan to invest in gas powered electric plants to meet their power needs, increasing the carbon footprint and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. El Paso is the third fastest warming community in the country, and we have recently had three of the hottest years on record.

As hyperscale data centers continue expanding across the country, more communities are beginning to ask the same question: who truly benefits from this growth, and who is expected to bear the consequences?

Communities like ours deserve a whole-of-government approach at all levels to address legitimate and urgent concerns:

Here is some of the legislation I have co-sponsored so far:

• The AI Data Center Site Selection Transparency Act
  • This bill would set requirements for new AI data centers, requiring that developers publicly disclose the location 180 days in advance, disclose impacts on energy and water, and restricting NDA agreements with public entities on data centers deals.
• The Power for the People Act
  • This bill ensures data centers are fully paying for their energy costs and associated infrastructure, creates a system to manage data center interconnection to the grid, and provides resources to improve accurate data center load forecasting.
• The Energy Bills Relief Act
  • This bill reinstates 2022 tax credits for home and system-wide energy improvements and ensures that facilities like data centers are paying for their own energy costs.
• My legislation to set minimum standards for federally funded data centers, including:
  • Requirements for renewable energy;
  • Requirements for closed-loop water systems;
  • Minimum distance requirements from nearest residential dwelling.

Since I learned the White House pushed for a data center at Fort Bliss and that other entities have proposed their own construction in El Paso, here is what I have done:

• On March 26th, I sent a letter to Meta requesting that they hold a public listening session to answer the community’s questions on how the data center will impact El Paso. Their lack of community engagement is unacceptable.
• On April 27th, I sent a follow-up letter to Meta on my request.
• Throughout March and April, I urged Fort Bliss to hold a listening session for the community which they agreed to.
• On May 6th, I sent a letter to the Public Utility Commission expressing concern about El Paso Electric’s application to service the Meta Data Center.
• On May 9th, I sent a letter to the Public Service Board urging them to ensure that any data centers in El Paso do not result in worsening water conditions.