Texas senators say they hope to tighten data center water regulations in 2027 - Community Impact

Texas state Sen. Charles Perry of Lubbock said on Sept. 1 that he plans to file a standalone bill targeting data center water consumption when the legislative session opens in January.

Perry made the comments during a legislative hearing on the data center industry, saying he will work to put guardrails in place where appropriate. He also noted that the issue has spread far beyond any one part of the state. "I think every member's district has had an impact from a data center conversation," Perry said, adding that lawmakers expect a wave of bills aimed at building what he called reasonable, responsible regulatory frameworks for the industry.

Data centers require significant amounts of water for cooling, and the rapid growth of the sector across Texas has drawn pushback from residents and conservation groups in various communities. West Texas, where water scarcity is already a real concern for farmers and city planners alike, has a direct stake in how those regulations take shape.

For people here, a Lubbock senator leading one of those efforts means the region's water pressures could carry more weight in Austin. Perry has not released bill language yet, so the specifics of what those guardrails would look like remain open.

Texas is currently one of the fastest-growing states for data center development in the country.