I want to begin this week with an idea, and I want everyone to seriously think about it.
It is a need Ellis County will have for at least the next decade.
Is anyone out there with money and passion (and a business to promote) interested in taking part in a weekly data center newsletter for Ellis County?
This week I’m trying to figure out how to incorporate all I have uncovered in just the last hour in my small word count with this column.
I have received many comments from readers, politicians, etc. who are excited I’m writing “The Good, the Bad and the Bandwidth” and offering great topics and questions.
Taking “The Good, the Bad and the Bandwidth” to the next level with information and steps in a newsletter to achieve goals does, find meetings, and more seems to be necessary.
Information is power!
So, with that housekeeping out of the way, I ran across some data center information this week stating the major concerns in Ellis County regarding the onslaught of these centers.
The strongest concerns are electricity demand, water consumption and specifically in Ellis County, there is a growing concern about land use and quality of life as more rural areas are converted into industrial development.
As I was reading as to why this area is becoming Data Center Central USA, I first learned Ellis County’s data center growth is not scattered.
In fact, it’s following a very predictable rule.
After learning this bit of knowledge, it became obvious that this entire building and construction buildout everywhere was likely in the planning stages for data centers a good while before Planning & Zoning, City Councils, Commissioners Court or others ever voted or realized the cart was put before the horse years ago.
The predictable data center location rule would be where highways, high-voltage power lines, and available land overlap, which is where data centers cluster.
In Ellis County, that overlap is strongest along the I-35E (current core), transmission corridors feeding DFW south and the expanding industrial zoning around Red Oak and Midlothian
To begin, the first question I was asking was with more than a dozen data center projects planned or operating in the county, how much new tax revenue will residents receive compared with the additional demands on power infrastructure, water resources, and rural land?
Local officials, utility providers, developers, and residents are increasingly debating this question, and some city councils (like in Red Oak recently) do not care what their residents want, but this issue as stated earlier begins way before it is voted on by the city council.
If residents in Ellis County feel like decisions are being made “over their heads,” remember there are practical options that can be used:
1. Use formal transparency tools because Texas has strong open records laws. You can file Public Information Act (PIA) requests for developer agreements, water/power contracts, zoning pre-applications, economic development incentive packages and these quickly reveal what has been negotiated versus assumed.
2. Show up to city meetings in addition to the city council. The most influence happens before votes in Planning & Zoning Commission meetings, Economic Development Corporation meetings, Utility board/infrastructure committees, when an item reaches council for a vote, it is often already structured.
3. Organize around specific “decision choke points.” So instead of broad opposition, focus on rezoning applications, utility capacity approvals, tax abatement agreements, and annexation requests. This is where decisions can still be modified or delayed.
4. Increase turnout and targeted testimony at city council meetings. Regular attendance will make an impact speaking on water usage, traffic, taxes, and usage data.
5. Engage county-level government and if the politicians do not want to help, vote them out. In places like Ellis County, major infrastructure issues (water, roads, permitting) often sit at the county level, not just city level. You can also attend county commissioner’s court; request agenda items be added and contact precinct commissioners directly.
6. Keep strategic documentation. Timelines of approvals, comparisons of promised versus actual tax revenue, infrastructure strain estimates (water, schools, power load) – because sometimes changes need state-level attention.
7. Legal/structural checks. If there is evidence of procedural violations, file Open Meetings Act complaints (Texas Attorney General), ethics complaints (conflict of interest issues), and audit requests via state oversight channels.
Even when residents feel “ignored,” councils do respond to being voted out and will be concerned if turnout persists over multiple meetings, there are legal pressures (records, procedure, compliance), and there is an economic argument that shows costs outweigh incentives.