Fort Worth pulls major data center regulations from agenda

A package of proposed regulations on new data center development in Fort Worth will not get a vote at the Aug. 11 City Council meeting, a city spokesperson said in a text message to the Star-Telegram.

The City Council will instead only consider updates to the city’s rules around data center water use after City Manager Jay Chapa pulled agenda items covering zoning, noise, and economic development agreements, city spokesperson Sana Syed said in a text.

The council is also expected to vote on whether to start the months-long moratorium approval process at its Aug. 11 meeting, according to a July 13 city press release.

The move comes less than a week after the Fort Worth zoning commission voted against recommending approval of a slate of land use and development standards changes, and after calls from the majority of City Council members for a moratorium on new data center development.

The city’s water use rules require data center developers to conduct a “water loading study” to see how new developments will affect the city’s water systems, according to a city webpage on proposed data center regulations.

Developers are also required to pay to connect their projects to the city’s water and sewer system, and conduct studies to make sure the development won’t negatively affect the city’s waste water system, according to the webpage.

The new rules would require data centers to use a closed loop cooling system, and require waste water pre-treatment permits, according to the webpage.

Council members, zoning commissioners, and members of the public have expressed trepidation at the speed of Fort Worth’s process to implement new data center rules.

City staffers have noted that the city’s process to update its rules is faster than the moratorium process, however, council members have argued its more important to get the new data center rules right while calling for more expert analysis and public feedback.

The City Council is expected to receive a presentation on public feedback about the proposed data center regulations at its Aug. 4 work session.

Harrison Mantas

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

817-390-7040

Harrison Mantas has covered Fort Worth city government, agencies and people since September 2021. He likes to live tweet city hall meetings, and help his fellow Fort Worthians figure out what’s going on.