The Data-Center Debate Is Divorced From the Facts

All those scary numbers aren’t what they seem.

By Andy Masley

The takeaway

Writing in The Atlantic, Andy Masley argues that public worry about data centers has outpaced the evidence. Concerns about water, power and other local effects are often inflated, confused or simply not borne out, and communities are turning away large amounts of tax revenue because of them.

This panic, moreover, is leading communities to forgo massive amounts of tax revenue—largely because of threats that are inflated, confused, and sometimes nonexistent.

— Andy Masley, The Atlantic

Why it matters for Parker County

Preliminary estimates put this project's property tax contribution at about $367 million a year at full buildout, including $209.3 million a year for Weatherford ISD. The facility is being designed around closed-loop water recycling, developer-funded transmission and strict noise standards, so those dollars can support schools, roads, hospitals and emergency services without shifting costs onto local families.

The full article is published by The Atlantic and may require a subscription. This page is a summary.