Can We Protect Rural Texas And Have Data Centers

In his recent column, State Representative David Spiller clearly expressed the growing anxieties across our 12-county House District 68 over rapid data center development. As Enterprise Editor Gina Keating reported, this issue has quickly become a defining test for local leadership as developers target rural Texas for massive, energy-hungry projects. Our commu n i ties face real concerns about grid reliability, groundwater strain, public safety, and shifting infrastructure costs onto local taxpayers. With the Texas Legislature not returning until January 12, 2027, we cannot wait on Austin for solutions. When developers buy private land without seeking a tax abatement, counties have no zoning authority to intervene — a situation that rightly worries many citizens.

So, what do we do today?

Fortunately, we do not have to wait. County commissioners hold strong leverage when negotiating voluntary Chapter 312 tax-abatement agreements. As Rep. Spiller noted, we need practical “guardrails” so these projects pay their own way.

After 37 years managing traveling industrial workforces and 12 years in law enforcement leadership, I learned that real success comes from collaboration, not confrontation. I’m a Young County resident. I believe Commissioners Courts can immediately adopt voluntary Site Access & Logistics Standards that turn negotiations into partnerships. These standards address five key issues: • Road Preservation: Require developers to finance base-hardening of critical corridors before the first truck arrives.

• Acoustic Integrity: Traditional dBA limits are insufficient for heavy computing infrastructure. Mandating verified, low-frequency dBC-weighted standards protects neighboring homes and livestock from the drone and vibration generated by massive cooling arrays.

• Resource Protection: Require advanced closedloop water recycling and strict daily consumption caps to safeguard our aquifers.

• Workforce Containment: Developers must establish workforce lodging hubs at least 15 miles away from municipal centers. Providing direct financial incentives for workers who remain at the hub—coupled with mandatory crew shuttles— keeps personal vehicles off narrow roads and insulates local housing markets from severe rental inflation. Workers who bypass the hub to book local rooms simply forfeit this additional project stipend.

• Public Safety Mitigation: Alleviate sudden workforce strains on law enforcement, fire departments, and volunteer EMS units by funding on-site medical first-response infrastructure and providing dedicated public safety mitigation fees.

Upon project completion, these developer- funded assets can be deeded back to the county for as little as $1. This leaves our municipalities with a permanent infrastructure legacy.

Move two: Because House District 68 spans 12 rural counties facing this identical pressure, I am calling for the immediate formation of a District 68 Infrastructure Task Force to unite our County Judges, Mayors, local citizens, and business leaders. Together, we can adopt uniform Chapter 312 standards that prevent developers from shopping county lines for weaker terms, hand Rep. Spiller a locally proven blueprint for future state law, and present a powerful, collective petition for the Governor to call a special legislative session.

Let’s protect the rural Texas we love while managing economic progress. Real collaboration makes a win-win possible.

Jerry Powell is a Young County resident, landowner, and the CEO of LSPM (Industrial Resourcing)