Data Centers Are Quietly Taking Over Texas. The Pollution Could Be Catastrophic
OpenAI did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A spokesperson for Stargate’s developer, Crusoe, says that the data center has “contributed meaningfully to the
OpenAI did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A spokesperson for Stargate’s developer, Crusoe, says that the data center has “contributed meaningfully to the economic development” of Abilene, and its investments are “funding new fire trucks, school expansions, and road improvements across the city.” As President Trump seeks to fast-track AI development across the country, he has found a willing ally in Texas governor Greg Abbott, who has previously referred to the industry as the state’s “gold rush”—though his enthusiasm has recently dampened in the face of widespread opposition.
With some 300 data centers already in operation and 200 more in development, Texas could surpass Virginia as the nation’s leading data center market by 2030. Amidst the frenzy to capitalize on the AI boom, a regulatory loophole has allowed dozens of data centers like Stargate to quietly construct massive power sources that emit harmful pollutants with little to no public notice, a Floodlight investigation has found. Typically, before you can build a major source of new emissions, you have to get a major air permit, which includes extensive environmental reviews and engagement with the local community.
But in Texas, regulators have allowed some data centers like Stargate to avoid that process by first obtaining so-called minor air permits—the kind more commonly associated with dry cleaners and autobody shops and rubber-stamped with minimal review. “Those lower-level permits get granted very quickly and often without the public knowing,” says Kathryn Guerra, who spent
nearly four years at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) before joining the watchdog group Public Citizen. “That feels pretty intentional.” These minor permits—as well as the nondisclosure agreements many developers require in their dealings with local governments and residents—are how communities like Garcia’s are left stunned when exhaust stacks pop up in their backyards.
The BriefWire