San Antonio residents push tougher data center rules over water, power, and noise

San Antonio residents have joined the nationwide push to rein in rapidly expanding data-center construction in their community. 

At a town hall meeting at Northwest Vista College, San Antonio residents urged City Hall to set tighter rules on data center expansion before more projects move from permitting to construction. Speakers raised concerns about neighborhood effects, zoning, noise, water use, and electricity demand. 

Here's what to know

District 6 Councilman Ric Galvan, the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, and Public Citizen organized the event, which gave residents a forum to comment while city leaders continued updating San Antonio's Unified Development Code.

According to KSAT, San Antonio's Development Services Department has been preparing proposed data center regulations for the City Council to consider.

Galvan said the data-center issue has particularly impacted District 6 because many of the city's data centers are concentrated there. 

"A little under 30 data centers here in San Antonio city limits, with 18-19 of them here in District 6," said Galvan, per KSAT. "We've seen them grow over time with rapid development over the last 15 years."

One of the most common requests from attendees was for the city to require earlier notice and clearer rules before project approval. Resident Randy Sipe said many neighbors learn about proposals only when there is little or no opportunity for meaningful public input.

"When you first notice them, it's too late to do anything because I've been to some meetings before and unfortunately the permits are done and over," Sipe said, per KSAT. "So once they break ground, there is no stopping them."

Resident Luis Leon said his concerns centered on long-term basics for local families, including whether future generations will have sufficient water supplies and affordable electricity. 

"I'm concerned about the future of my descendants," Leon said, as quoted by KSAT. "I want to know that they're going to be okay." 

What's being done?

With the city's new regulations still in the rulemaking stage, San Antonio residents have been making their voices heard. 

The Development Services Department has been drafting the new standards as part of a larger overhaul of the Unified Development Code, giving local officials a rare opportunity to impose stricter requirements before additional projects move forward.

Participants at the town hall proposed a more up-to-date definition of a data center, a review of zoning standards, tougher site-plan rules, and revisions to fire and building codes.

Galvan said those potential rules could help future development to better align with community needs.

"It's incumbent on us to make sure we're understanding what's going on and how local policies can help impact some of the developments here so our communities aren't left behind," he said, per KSAT.

Environmental advocates also said the code changes should reflect the scale of newer facilities.

"We hope that the City will be amending the UDC to accommodate new hyperscale data centers with regulations that best serve the citizens of San Antonio," said Annalisa Peace, executive director of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, per KSAT. 

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