The debate over data centers reached a new level in El Paso, Texas, as city representatives voted on an economic incentive contract for the Meta data center under construction in the northeast part of the city. The vote, which took place after eight hours of discussion and public comments, resulted in a 3-5 decision against renegotiating and possibly canceling the 380 agreement that gives Meta 80% off their taxes for the multi-billion dollar contract.

Data Center Impacts

Major questions still linger about the economic and resource impacts of the data center on the region. El Paso Water addressed concerns about water availability, stating that the data center will only increase the city’s water consumption by 0.4%. Meta also sent a letter to the city council ahead of the vote, highlighting the benefits of the data center and its commitment to the community.

The future of the data center and its contract with the city remains uncertain. ABC-7 Xtra will explore this topic further on Sunday, featuring interviews with City Rep. Josh Acevedo and a Meta spokesperson.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.