Texas data centers
Data center words in plain English: a Texas glossary
29 words you may hear in data center news and public meetings, explained in plain English. Each one links to its source.
A
- Acre-foot
- The volume of water needed to cover one acre to a depth of one foot. It equals 325,851 gallons.
- Source: Texas Water Development Board (checked October 2, 2026)
- Air-cooled
- A cooling design that releases heat from the refrigerant to the outside air through an air-cooled condenser, rather than with water. Some designs add a water spray to improve performance.
- Source: U.S. Department of Energy (checked October 2, 2026)
C
- Class C misdemeanor
- One of three misdemeanor categories (A, B and C) in the Texas Penal Code, sorted by relative seriousness. Under Texas Water Code 16.012(m), failing to complete and return the TWDB Water Use Survey is an offense punishable as a Class C misdemeanor. This entry names the classification only and does not state a penalty.
- Source: Texas Statutes (checked October 2, 2026)
- Closed-loop cooling
- A cooling design in which the cooling water circulates in a loop kept closed to the outside air. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that a closed-loop cooling tower can be chosen to keep a closed condenser water loop. Ask where the heat is finally released.
- Source: U.S. Department of Energy (checked October 2, 2026)
E
- ERCOT
- The Electric Reliability Council of Texas. It manages the flow of electric power to more than 27 million Texas customers, about 90 percent of the state's electric load, as the independent system operator for its grid.
- Source: ERCOT (checked October 2, 2026)
- Evaporative cooling
- Cooling that uses the evaporation of water to help release heat. One example in the U.S. Department of Energy guide is a device that sprays water over condenser coils to improve heat rejection.
- Source: U.S. Department of Energy (checked October 2, 2026)
- Extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ)
- The unincorporated area next to a city's limits. Its size depends on the city's population; for example, within one mile of the city boundary for a city of 5,000 to 24,999 residents (Texas Local Government Code 42.021).
- Source: Texas Statutes (checked October 2, 2026)
G
- Gallons per day (GPD)
- How much water a facility uses or a system can deliver in one day. One MGD is 1,000,000 gallons per day. Ask whether a number is an average day or a peak day.
- Source: U.S. Geological Survey (checked October 2, 2026)
- Gigawatt (GW)
- One billion watts, or one thousand megawatts.
- Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (checked October 2, 2026)
H
- Hyperscale
- An industry word, not a unit of measurement. It refers to a system's ability to scale up and grow to meet demand. Lubbock staff told its council on July 7, 2026 that there is no common definition.
- Source: City of Lubbock, council meeting transcript (Jul. 7, 2026) (checked October 2, 2026)
I
- Inference (computing workload)
- Running an already-built software model to answer requests. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory describes inference as presenting more variable loads across a mix of hardware than training does. A project's mix of training and inference can change its electricity pattern; ask the owner which it will do.
- Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (checked October 2, 2026)
- Interconnection (grid connection)
- The process of studying and approving a large electricity user, such as a data center, to connect to the power grid. In June 2026 ERCOT said it was tracking more than 438,000 MW of connection requests from large users and was moving to approve them in batches.
- Source: ERCOT (checked October 2, 2026)
L
- Large-scale data center (Lubbock working definition)
- For its July 7, 2026 discussion, Lubbock staff offered a working definition: a data center that uses 100 megawatts or more of electricity and/or 100,000 gallons of water per day, and mainly supplies information or does processing for off-site users. It was offered for discussion at that meeting. Other places define the term differently.
- Source: City of Lubbock, council meeting transcript (Jul. 7, 2026) (checked October 2, 2026)
- Liquid cooling
- Cooling that carries heat away from computer equipment with liquid instead of only air. Common forms named by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are rear-door heat exchangers, direct-to-chip cooling and immersion.
- Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (checked October 2, 2026)
M
- Megawatt (MW)
- One million watts of electricity. Data center sizes are often given in megawatts, the amount of power the site could draw at one time.
- Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (checked October 2, 2026)
- MGD (million gallons per day)
- A rate of water flow or use: one million gallons each day. One MGD running for a year is about 365 million gallons, or roughly 1,120 acre-feet.
- Source: U.S. Geological Survey (checked October 2, 2026)
- Moratorium
- A temporary pause, here on certain kinds of development approvals. Texas Local Government Code Chapter 212, Subchapter E, sets conditions for a city's moratorium on property development in certain circumstances, including how it is adopted and how long it can last.
- Source: Texas Statutes (checked October 2, 2026)
O
- Ogallala Aquifer
- The largest aquifer in the United States and a major aquifer of Texas, underlying much of the High Plains. In Texas it covers about 36,293 square miles in 49 counties and is made of sand, gravel, clay and silt, up to 800 feet thick.
- Source: Texas Water Development Board (checked October 2, 2026)
- Ordinance
- A city's local law. The Texas Municipal League describes an ordinance as more formal and authoritative than a resolution, a local law that usually regulates persons or property and usually relates to a matter of a general and permanent nature.
- Source: Texas Municipal League handbook (hosted by the City of Alvin) (checked October 2, 2026)
P
- Public information request (Texas Public Information Act)
- A request to a Texas governmental body for information it has written, collected, assembled or maintained in connection with official business. The body must produce public information promptly. Some information can be withheld under listed exceptions, such as trade secrets, and the body may ask the Attorney General for a ruling. (Government Code Chapter 552.)
- Source: Texas Statutes (checked October 2, 2026)
- PUC (Public Utility Commission of Texas)
- The state agency that regulates Texas electric, telecommunication, and water and sewer utilities, implements related legislation, and helps resolve consumer complaints.
- Source: Public Utility Commission of Texas (checked October 2, 2026)
R
- Reinvestment zone
- An area a city or county governing body designates so that tax abatements can be granted there. A zone created under Chapter 312 expires after five years and may be renewed for periods not to exceed five years. The Comptroller keeps a state registry of zones and abatement agreements.
- Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (checked October 2, 2026)
- Resolution
- A formal statement of a city council's position or policy. The Texas Municipal League says a resolution does not carry the force of law; it is an expression of opinion or an order meant to accomplish a ministerial act.
- Source: Texas Municipal League (checked October 2, 2026)
- Rezoning (zone change)
- A change to a city's zoning regulations or zoning district boundaries. Under Texas Local Government Code 211.006, a regulation or boundary is not effective until after a public hearing, with notice published at least 15 days before the hearing.
- Source: Texas Statutes (checked October 2, 2026)
T
- Tax abatement
- A local agreement between a taxpayer and a local taxing unit (such as a city or county) that exempts all or part of the increase in a property's value from taxation for a period not to exceed 10 years (Texas Tax Code Chapter 312).
- Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (checked October 2, 2026)
- TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality)
- The state's environmental agency. Its Permit Search Portal and Status of Permits pages let the public look up pending and completed permits, including air permits. Lubbock staff told its council that air permits are handled by the state through TCEQ, not by cities or counties.
- Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (checked October 2, 2026)
- Training (computing workload)
- The long-running computation used to build a software model from data. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory describes training as long-duration computation with relatively predictable power draw, typically done in dedicated facilities with specialized hardware.
- Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (checked October 2, 2026)
- TWDB (Texas Water Development Board)
- The state agency whose stated mission is to lead the state's efforts in ensuring a secure water future for Texas. It runs the annual Water Use Survey.
- Source: Texas Water Development Board (checked October 2, 2026)
W
- Water Use Survey
- An annual survey by the TWDB of water use at operating facilities and systems in Texas, including municipal systems and industrial users such as data centers. Texas Water Code 16.012(m) says recipients shall complete and return it. TWDB says it covers facilities that are operating, not planned or under construction.
- Source: Texas Water Development Board (checked October 2, 2026)
About these definitions
Where a number comes from a Lubbock city staff presentation, the definition says so. Definitions are not legal advice. Sources checked October 2, 2026.
Free to share and print with credit to 806 Connect (CC BY 4.0).