District 6 Councilmember Calls for Policy on Data Center Growth

Published on October 29, 2025

District 6 Councilmember Calls for Policy Discussion on Data Center Growth and Resource Impact

SAN ANTONIO (October 29, 2025) – District 6 Councilmember Ric Galvan has filed a Council Consideration Request (CCR) calling for a comprehensive policy discussion on the impacts of data centers in San Antonio, particularly as large-scale developments continue to emerge on the city’s far West Side.

“Data centers are vital to our digital life and economy, but their growth has far outpaced public policy. We must understand how the recent and rapid data center expansion affects our electric grid, water supply, and neighborhoods—and ensure San Antonio is planning responsibly for the future,” said Councilmember Galvan. “Our city cannot afford to wait until resource demands outpace our infrastructure. As the Councilmember of the district with the largest number of data centers, my residents have expressed firsthand feedback on data center growth that deserves conversation at City Hall about proactive planning—not just for District 6 residents but for all of San Antonio.”

The proposed policy item, titled “Data Center Response – Planning and Policy Discussion,” calls for the City Council Governance Committee to review and discuss the scope of the City’s authority in regulating data centers through zoning, permitting, and development codes. The item also requests an analysis of:

• The resource intensity of San Antonio’s current and planned data centers, including water and power use.
• State and local regulatory frameworks guiding data center operations, with examples of how other cities are responding.
• Possible amendments to the Unified Development Code to establish special use requirements for data centers, addressing issues such as water and energy consumption, noise, and impervious cover.

A policy brief from the Houston Advanced Research Center and the University of Houston Energy found that the average mid-sized data center consumes roughly 300,000 gallons of water per day, equivalent to the usage of about 1,000 homes. Across Texas, total water use by data centers is projected to increase nearly ninefold—from 46 billion gallons in 2025 to 399 billion gallons by 2030, representing up to 7% of statewide water use.

The CCR also encourages partnerships with local universities, research institutions, and municipal utilities to track and study the long-term sustainability of data center development.