DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT
SAN ANGELO, TX – Beacon Data Centers, appearing as “Westline TX Holdings,” have submitted their air quality permit to the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for their proposed development in Tom Green County.
The plain language permit application is available here.
In their application, Westline Holdings state that they plan to generate electricity for the data center campus on-site, using internal combustion engines powered by natural gas to power the multi-gigawatt facility.
They anticipate an annual carbon dioxide emission of 1,177 tons per year, which according to the EPA is equivalent to a little over 132,000 gallons of gasoline consumed, or 1.3 million pounds of coal burned.
They state that they plan to use on site diesel power generation as a backup, which would likely run for at least a half hour per month to ensure function, Beacon officials have said.
The proposal reads: “The permit will authorize construction of the data center and energy facility. The data center will not rely upon power from the grid, but rather, will operate using electricity that is generated onsite by the energy facility using natural-gas reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE).”
It concludes: “This application is being processed in an expedited manner, as allowed by the commission’s rules in 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 101, Subchapter J.”
Expedited Approval Process Detailed
According to that statute “if the applicant demonstrates that the purpose of the application will benefit the economy of this state or an area of this state” they may request an expedited approval process, for which the “executive director may add a surcharge for an expedited application.”
A surcharge which “will be remitted in the form of a check, certified check, electronic funds transfer, or money order made payable to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).”
At a particularly fierce County Commissioners meeting last month, an officer for Beacon was present to answer questions from the court and the general public, having been asked to appear following a push to impose a moratorium on data center construction in Tom Green County’s 4th precinct.
Understanding Carbon Footprints
CO2 emissions are measured by weight, in kilograms and tons.
When measuring the carbon footprint of various industries, every step of the process is considered. To take concrete as an example, a large source of global CO2 emissions, one cubic meter of concrete will generate around 400 kg of CO2 emissions. But the cost, materials, and crucially, transportation are considered in that total number.
While the site, once opened, would produce in theory less than 4 square meters of concrete worth of emissions annually, the construction of the site and its maintenance would have to be considered to arrive at a full carbon footprint calculation.
Westline proposes to hold themselves to strict standard, but some warn that the agency tasked with regulating commercial air quality standards is not up to the task. Earlier this month, Houston Public Media reported that less than 6 percent of possible violations are addressed within 5 days of their reporting by the TCEQ.
Public Reaction Weighed Heavily on Commissioners
Residents of the neighboring Dove Creek development, and along Farm-to-Market Road 2335 have voiced their objections openly to the project, first at a large meeting in April, then to the County Commissioners, where it was said that Commissioner Shawn Nanny had been the recipient of multiple scores of passionate telephone calls from constituents.
The project is somewhat distinct from the other data center development that has drawn ire in recent months, as it lies outside of San Angelo city limits on private property, where even Tom Green County commissioners and attorneys admit they have almost no jurisdiction.
A previous attempt to stop data center development by commissioners in Hill County by issuing a moratorium was met with a large lawsuit, in which the county commissioners were named specifically, as they stated on the record that it was illegal for them to impose a moratorium, but did so anyway.
On the advice of the county’s attorney, Tom Green County Commissioners avoided that conclusion but not without protest by Shawn Nanny, who presides over the precinct.
