On Nov. 18, CloudBurst hosted its inaugural groundbreaking ceremony for its flagship AI data center set to straddle Hays and Guadalupe counties. Concern over the environmental impact of Cloudburst’s new AI data center has sparked community protest, leading the city to stand against its construction.
Resource demands remain the primary concern from residents. Data centers demand large quantities of water, and while the CloudBurst data center is closed-loop and recirculates its water, it still takes water to fill and maintain reserves. This is made all the more alarming due to San Marcos’ current stage three drought status.
According to Stateline, data centers are not required to make their water consumption records available to the public in Texas, making it easier for large corporations to avoid scrutiny for their wasteful usage of natural resources.
Studies show that pollution caused by data centers can lead to an uptick in various health issues amongst community members, workers and wildlife due to consistent exposure to pollutants like noise. Elon Musk’s xAI data center alone caused an increase in asthma and lung disease diagnoses in Memphis, confirming that proximity to these centers have a direct impact on health within just a few months of construction.
While supporters may argue that the data center can create economic opportunities by providing jobs, on average, data centers do not create enough long-term jobs to justify the environmental risks associated with its construction.
Rodion Podorozhny, associate professor of computer science at Texas State’s Round Rock campus, said AI is worth investing in, however not at the cost of the environment.
“I have no doubt that of course, researching the AI is very beneficial to the society … so it is unavoidable that people have such centers built … But there must be a balance, right? There must be public supervision. We should not lose our environment,” Podorozhny said.
Rejecting AI can be seen as regressive in many ways, however AI infrastructure cannot be pursued if it is allowed to prey upon loopholes that exploit the San Marcos community and its environment.
Energy demands are another key area of concern, with CloudBurst’s signage of a natural gas deal with Energy Transfer. The energy provided has the ability to generate 1.2GW of power, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes. Burning natural gas releases toxic pollutants into the atmosphere, impacting residents.
Evan Sikes, a wildlife biology senior and member of the Data Center Action Coalition said that many in San Marcos stand united in their rejection of the ensuing data center.
“Every single neighbor in that area [border of Guadalupe and Hays county] has either approached [The Data Center Action Coalition] or approached city council to say, why are you letting this happen? … we’re on very different sides of the political spectrum,” Sikes said.
Residents of San Marcos should be aware of the data center construction just south of the city, and how it can impact them. Residents should continue to voice their concerns with the project, especially now at the early stages of development.
Data center companies operate on the fringes of the law, exploiting legal loopholes and government incentives to develop, regardless of community input. CloudBurst’s data center poses real enviromental concerns for the people of San Marcos and Hays County, especially given already strained resources. Corporate profits cannot jeoaporfize the enviroment, and CloudBurst should work with the community to address concerns.
-Mark Gabriellides is a English and education freshman
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