Texas Agriculture Commissioner Raises Concerns Over Data Centers Impacting Farmland
Members of the U.S. agricultural community, including Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, are expressing concerns about the proliferation of data centers and their impact on farmland and rural areas. Commissioner Miller has called for a special legislative session to address these issues, highlighting the loss of farmland, increased pressure on the electric grid, and threats to water supplies. Despite a recent withdrawal of a data center project near Cedar Creek Lake, Texas remains a hotspot for data center construction, with 580 centers active or under construction. Virginia leads the nation with 736 data centers, largely due to Loudoun County's role in handling a significant portion of global internet traffic. A survey by the University of Illinois indicates that rural residents are more concerned about the impacts of data centers on agricultural land use and electricity costs compared to urban residents. 
