20260401-004, Data Center Environmental Management Draft Recommendation — original pdf

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. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Environmental Commission Recommendation 20260401-004: Data Center Environmental Management WHEREAS, Data Centers are changing every sector of society and economy; and, WHEREAS, Data Centers will provide the City of Austin, Travis County, and Central Texas the opportunity to be a center of technical excellence ; and , WHEREAS, Central Texas has scarce water resources to support an industry requiring substantial water and the existing electrical grid may be challenged by the insertion of new facilities requiring large amounts of electricity; and, WHEREAS, by 2035 Data Centers could account for more than 20% of global electricity use and 56% of the power used to power Data Centers comes from fossil fuels; and, WHEREAS, Texas has a 4.8-million-acres-foot water shortage and US Data Centers consume 66 billion gallons of water/year. WHEREAS, Data Centers with significant environmental impact on the community have a footprint exceeding 20,000 square feet and consume more than 5kW/rack and are typically categorized as Tier II to Tier IV facilities as defined by the Uptime Institute requiring 24x7 availability; and, WHEREAS, the increasing demand for Data Centers in Central Texas requires a coordinated approach by all Central Texas Governments; therefore, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the Environmental Commission recommends the City Council adopt the following policies: • Consistent with Council Resolution 20240215-024 and Resolution considered during the April 24, 2025 Council meeting. • Establish working relationships with adjacent counties (Williamson, Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Blanco, and Burnett) and cities (e.g., Buda, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Round Rock, Taylor, Elgin) to develop consistent policies and procedures to manage the installation and growth data centers within Central Texas. • Publish, via the Environmental Commission, the report from the City Manager, requested in April 2025 of the “projected environmental impact and resource usage of local data centers over the next ten years”. • Require Tier II and higher Data Centers to generate power onsite via renewable resources, which may include, but are not limited to solar, wind, and battery power. The power generated should amount to at least 50% of the amount necessary to operate the data center. • Require Data Centers to curtail operations during periods of electrical emergency as declared by the Governor of the State or Local Authorities. • Recycle water drawn from aquifers, public water systems, rainwater capture. • Require water the Data Center to use reclaimed water. • Comply to “night sky” and “bird friendly” regulations. • Comply with City of Austin noise regulations. • Require Austin Energy to coordinate data center support with other utilities within the Central Texas area, including, but not limited to Bluebonnet Electric, Reliant Energy, TXU Energy, Central Texas Electric Co-Op, Payless Power. • Require plans for hazardous waste disposal plans for power plant biproducts used to produce power locally. • Require public notice to property owners within one-mile of the construction site of a data center. • Prohibit the use of tax breaks or other financial incentives to encourage Data Centers to locate within Austin. Seconded By: Date of Approval: Motioned By: Vote: For: Against: Abstain: Off the dais: Absent: Attest: