City of San Marcos
What to Know:
- Hays County commissioners postponed a proposed 30-day moratorium on high-water-use developments, citing concerns the county may not have the legal authority to impose it.
- County leaders are urging Gov. Greg Abbott and the Legislature to give counties more power to regulate zoning, major developments and utilities as data centers expand.
- Water and power impacts are driving the debate, with officials pointing to worsening water scarcity and forecasts that data centers will sharply increase Texas electricity demand in the coming years.
What to Know:
- San Marcos City Council reversed course and rejected a key planning request for Highlander SM One LLC’s proposed $1.5 billion data center campus.
- The project has faced sustained community and planning pushback, including a restart of the application process in October and a later commission recommendation to approve in January.
- Water and power impacts are central to the debate, as data centers’ resource demands collide with local supply concerns and broader grid pressures.
What to Know:
- Kerr County officials are moving forward with a new flood warning system in partnership with the Upper Guadalupe River Authority.
- San Marcos is seeking $4.78 million in state funding, and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority has earmarked $1.5 million to support local deployment.
- The Texas Department of Information Resources has launched a statewide procurement for flood early warning systems under its Cooperative Contracts Program.
What to Know:
- The bulk of new investments appear in the Austin District, where TxDOT is proposing $32 million in projects along the I-35 corridor.
- The draft also underscores continued investment in infrastructure that supports smart mobility and emission reduction goals.
- TxDOT is administering $75 million through the Carbon Reduction Program for non-urban areas.
The San Marcos City Council is scheduled to consider a proposal to build a data center on 786 acres southeast of Old Bastrop Road and Francis Harris Lane.
Last year, one of the municipalities made an arrest in two decades-old crimes, thanks to federal grants and related technologies.
