David Taylor Managing Editor
JACINTO CITY — A town hall over a possible new data center stretched beyond three hours Friday as residents repeatedly pressed city officials and project representatives about water use, noise, wastewater, air quality and the strain a large industrial customer could place on the electric grid.
City Manager Lon Squyres said the meeting underscored the depth of public opposition and clarified the safeguards residents want included in a proposed ordinance.
“It confirmed what we already knew, that we had a lot of opposition,” Squyres said in an interview after the meeting. “It also gave us specific insights as to what some of their concerns were.”
The proposal involves property currently owned by IRGRA and future joint venture and data center company Raeden, according to Squyres. He said the city has not yet received a formal proposal, building plans or other project submittals from Raeden following the meeting.
That leaves many key details unresolved. But Squyres said Jacinto City is already working on an ordinance that would amend its zoning rules and require a specific use permit for a data center. The permit could spell out requirements involving water, noise, wastewater, power, pollution, monitoring and eventual decommissioning of the facility.
“If we can’t prevent it, let’s limit any potential consequences of it,” Squyres said.
Squyres acknowledged that Jacinto City may not have the legal authority or financial resources to stop the project outright. He said the City Council remains firmly opposed, but officials are shifting their focus toward enforceable limits in case the development moves forward.
“The city is not in a position to stop them,” he said. “We just don’t have the legal authority. We don’t have the deep pockets to spend the next years in court.”
The meeting’s length reflected the intensity of residents’ concerns. Squyres said the city chose a three-hour format after seeing town halls in other communities run as long as 12 or 13 hours. Even so, participants became frustrated and some questions were repeated.
“We said three; we should have done two, just because people start getting frustrated after a couple hours,” he said.
Water promises would be put in writing.
Water use emerged as one of the most closely watched issues. Squyres said Raeden representative Jason Green repeatedly stated that the proposed data center would use a closed-loop cooling system.
For some residents, that answer eased concern. For others, Squyres said, distrust of the broader data center industry remained.
“He confirmed that verbally the other night, several times, in fact,” Squyres said. “I think everybody’s response was, good, that’s off the table for some. But then for others, it’s just a lack of believability because he’s representing a data center.”
Squyres said the city would seek separate meters for cooling-related water and ordinary uses such as toilets and sinks. Officials are also studying penalties or other enforcement tools if actual water consumption exceeds what the company promises.
“I’m very comfortable that we can hold their feet to the fire on the water issue,” he said.
The broader point, Squyres said, is to convert verbal assurances into enforceable requirements.
“It’s not just a handshake, a gentleman’s agreement or anything like that,” he said. “There’s got to be some teeth to it.”
City gathers noise baseline
Noise from cooling equipment and backup generators was another major concern. Squyres said city staff and Councilman Greg Robinson traveled streets near the proposed site Saturday to collect baseline sound readings.
The city measured both A-weighted and C-weighted decibel levels after Squyres consulted a Vermont specialist recommended by several people familiar with sound ordinances.
“What we’re doing is establishing a baseline before anybody even does anything,” Squyres said. “What’s the sound level now?”
Squyres said the city is considering limits tied to existing ambient noise levels so the project would not be allowed to increase neighborhood sound. He said the developer has claimed the facility, including generators during testing, would remain below those levels.
“He should be okay with it, but again, it’s got to be in writing,” Squyres said. “It’s got to be something that’s enforceable.”
Questions remain about power and air monitoring
Residents also asked whether the data center could raise public costs for electrical infrastructure or worsen outages during periods when the ERCOT grid is under stress.
Squyres said Center- Point indicated that the data center company may pay for its own electrical infrastructure. He cautioned that the city has little firm information so far.
“Our biggest concern is, will they steal power?” Squyres said. “One, is the public going to have to fund anything there on the power side? And then two, is it going to put us in a position, if ERCOT is stressed, is it going to knock us out of power?”
He said the city wants a written agreement requiring the data center to shift its load to on-site generation during grid emergencies.
“We want to see that in writing to protect our citizens,” Squyres said. “Because you think about the winter storm when we lost power on that occasion, we don’t want to go through that again.”
Jacinto City is also considering independent monitoring of air emissions and noise. Squyres said officials have approached Air Alliance Houston, which already operates an airmonitoring device on the roof of City Hall, about either providing monitoring or helping identify a trusted third party.
“The biggest thing we kept hearing is, yes, all that sounds good, Mr. Data Center, but how do we know you’re telling the truth?” Squyres said.
Another meeting expected
Squyres said at least one more public meeting is expected. The city is soliciting comments from residents and subject-matter experts while drafting the ordinance.
“Our biggest fear is what we don’t know,” he said. “The wider net we cast, I think the better off we’re going to protect our citizens.”
He hopes the proposed ordinance can reach the city council by its first meeting in October. The city charter requires two readings, giving the public additional opportunities to support, oppose or recommend changes.
Officials also plan to create a dedicated section on the city website where project documents would be posted as soon as they are received, including permits, site plans, equipment specifications and other submissions.
“We want to be as transparent as humanly possible,” Squyres said. “We don’t want to hold it. We don’t want to hide it. We’re not going to do any nondisclosure agreements whatsoever.”
For now, Squyres said the city is preparing regulations before an application arrives.
“We are drafting an ordinance which will augment the city zoning ordinance,” he said. “Basically, we’re going to codify everything that we’ve all been talking about and wanting to limit.”
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