CS City Council Place 5 - Data Center Update

106,295 Views | 933 Replies | Last: 11 days ago by Hornbeck
ElephantRider
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In reply to Jbob04 • 9:32a, 9/23/25
AG
Jbob04 said:
Do you have a link to the BTU/TNMP proposal?

Here's the ERCOT report from July. I misspoke, ERCOT has not officially approved it. It has been recommended to move forward though.

https://www.ercot.com/files/docs/2025/07/25/EIR-BTU-Texas-A-M-University-System-RELLIS-Campus-Reliability-Project-Status-Update-RPG-July-2025.pdf

Here's what BTU presented to ERCOT, for more detail on the projected load.

https://www.ercot.com/files/docs/2025/03/14/BTU-TAMUS-RELLIS-Project-Overview-for-RPG3.18.25.pdf
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Richleau12
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In reply to Brian Alg • 9:43a, 9/23/25
Brian Alg said:
Pivoting from this to putting taxpayers on the hook for development in Midtown.

Looks like you are good, though. Probably all clear to spend a ton.


Some folks can't stand any victory, I suppose. Rezoning doesn't cost money. Partnering with outside business doesn't cost money. Tax relief doesn't cost money. That area is prime for development and you're wringing your hands?
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ElephantRider
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In reply to Brian Alg • 9:43a, 9/23/25
AG
Brian Alg said:
Pivoting from this to putting taxpayers on the hook for development in Midtown.

Looks like you are good, though. Probably all clear to spend a ton.

I'm not in the loop enough to know what they are, but if they City previously made commitments regarding Midtown they should honor them. It's not right to hang everyone who bought in Midtown out to dry because you changed your mind.

Whether or not they should have made those commitments is a different argument.
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ElephantRider
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In reply to Richleau12 • 9:44a, 9/23/25
AG
Richleau12 said:
Brian Alg said:
Pivoting from this to putting taxpayers on the hook for development in Midtown.

Looks like you are good, though. Probably all clear to spend a ton.


Some folks can't stand any victory, I suppose. Rezoning doesn't cost money. Partnering with outside business doesn't cost money. Tax relief doesn't cost money. That area is prime for development and you're wringing your hands?

Alg will never be happy. I can't understand why someone would choose to live here when they clearly hate being here.
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Richleau12
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In reply to ElephantRider • 9:46a, 9/23/25
ElephantRider said:
Richleau12 said:
Brian Alg said:
Pivoting from this to putting taxpayers on the hook for development in Midtown.

Looks like you are good, though. Probably all clear to spend a ton.


Some folks can't stand any victory, I suppose. Rezoning doesn't cost money. Partnering with outside business doesn't cost money. Tax relief doesn't cost money. That area is prime for development and you're wringing your hands?

Alg will never be happy. I can't understand why someone would choose to live here when they clearly hate everything about this place.


"No matter where you go, there you are." Perhaps some can never be happy regardless of location.
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Jbob04
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In reply to ElephantRider • 9:51a, 9/23/25
AG
Interesting, thank you
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Stucco
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9:52a, 9/23/25
An echo chamber is as worthless as the internet paper it is printed on. I appreciate Algs viewpoints and participation.
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Richleau12
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In reply to Stucco • 10:15a, 9/23/25
Stucco said:
An echo chamber is as worthless as the internet paper it is printed on. I appreciate Algs viewpoints and participation.

No doubt. I appreciate Alg's viewpoint. I'm just so damn ready to see the acres of land between Pebble Creek and Wood Creek get filled in with businesses, restaurants, and shops that bring real value to South College Station. There's lots of demand and that area can become something really special. A small music venue, entertainment options, a walkable downtown main street style development could easily be had. That area is ripe and has been for years. Rezoning it to fill that void will be a huge step in creating real quality of life for the area and perhaps those with negative views of the town, might have their hearts melted with the quality.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to Richleau12 • 10:23a, 9/23/25
Downtown?

College Station?

Those words don't go together.
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DukeMu
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10:24a, 9/23/25
I always thought of Northgate as Downtown. It's a shame seeing what's happening to it.
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Richleau12
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In reply to maroon barchetta • 11:07a, 9/23/25
maroon barchetta said:
Downtown?

College Station?

Those words don't go together.


Yeah, who would want an area like that?
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Brian Alg
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In reply to Richleau12 • 2:39p, 9/23/25
Richleau12 said:
Partnering with outside business doesn't cost money. Tax relief doesn't cost money.
Problem with talking to anonymous people on the internet is I can't tell if you are joking or what.
Brian Alg

My words are not intended to be disrespectful to any of the staid and venerable members of College Station City Council
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Brian Alg
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In reply to ElephantRider • 2:44p, 9/23/25
ElephantRider said:
Alg will never be happy.
glol
Brian Alg

My words are not intended to be disrespectful to any of the staid and venerable members of College Station City Council
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SCHTICK00
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In reply to Bob Yancy • 6:55p, 9/23/25
AG
Bob Yancy said:
ElephantRider said:
BTU and CSU average load are both 400ish MW, and CSU is completely dependent upon BTU for transmission. All of our import comes from either the old switchyard at Gibbons (five circuits, I think, of 138) or Jack Creek up in Edge (two circuits of 138). Jack Creek ties directly to Oak Grove and Blue Jay interconnects at a BEC 138 station that is tied to Gibbons.

ERCOT has signed of on the BTU/TNMP proposal to run two circuits of 345 between Twin Oak in Bremond and the BTU station at RELLIS

Tenaska Frontier is tricky, because it's a dual-grid plant. It can provide power to ERCOT and MISO, but not at the same time. It must completely disconnect from one before connecting to the other, and MISO (Entergy) is much better
connected in the area.


Two 345 kw overhead transmission lines cost $8.2 million a mile, require exhaustive regulatory approval, and would've likely taken a decade to get in there. That means for ten years those residents (two entire subdivisions and the Langford) would've lived in the fear and uncertainty of what's to come. Their property values would've likely taken a hit for the same reasons- fear and uncertainty. They likely would've been stuck not being able to sell and recapture equity and it would've gone on long after this staff and council were gone. The potential buyer is not a data center general contractor and there's no telling how many times the property would've traded hands before we had a clue who the end user was going to be.

It would've been an enduring testament to a bad strategic decision and it was a mistake to enter contract negotiations without consulting the citizens first.

It was an unforced error that should've never occurred. My expectation is that accountability will be had, and that major modifications to our procedures, particularly entering NDAs, will be made.

As one member of council, I formally apologize to the citizens and simultaneously thank them for bringing the facts forward.

Saying "the right decision was made in the end" is not enough. Full stop. We must do better and I want you all to know I feel that way. For what it's worth.

Respectfully, transparently, and apologetically,

Yancy '95


Serious question, not rhetorical. When is staff going to be called to task for such incredible incompetence or worse, deviance? By deviance I mean a willingness to do harm to the community in order to build a resume for personal gain and promotion. If the city manager is not looking for a new job soon, I don't believe council is serious about correcting a multitude of unforced errors. And stop believing what staff is telling you. Get outside council to represent the city council and protect our interests against a rogue staff. The city attorney is only protecting the city manager and that's become very obvious.
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dubi
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In reply to Hornbeck • 7:35p, 9/23/25
AG
As part of your open records request, did you ask for the city manager's ost recent contract extension? We need that info to be ,add public given what a terrible job he has done.
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Hornbeck
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In reply to dubi • 1:34a, 9/24/25
AG
dubi said:
As part of your open records request, did you ask for the city manager's ost recent contract extension? We need that info to be ,add public given what a terrible job he has done.


We did not. Just the Priority Power stuff.
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PrimeCSTX
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3:49p, 10/17/25
AG

Did anyone else catch McIlhaney try to throw Yancy under the bus on wtaw this morning. It's pretty clear now, who was supporting the data center. Crazy!

https://wtaw.com/college-station-councilwoman-melissa-mcilhaney-on-wtaw-2/
PrimeCSTX
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Hornbeck
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In reply to PrimeCSTX • 3:58p, 10/17/25
AG
Just posted a new topic on this.

https://texags.com/forums/35/topics/3568658

They are doubling down on the disdain for the citizens.
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Tailgate88
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12:49p, 12/3/25
AG
Deja Vu?

Major 520-Acre Data Center Proposed Near Waco
Lacy Lakeview and McLennan County are in negotiations about a new data center project.

Quote:
A suburb just north of Waco is currently the site for a proposed 520-acre data center, but local residents are voicing concerns about the future of the project.

Infrakey, a data center investment firm, plans to build "up to six" data centers. The City of Lacy Lakeview signed a memorandum of understanding with Infrakey in June, the same month the company purchased farmland for the project.

Lacy Lakeview and McLennan County remain in negotiations with Infrakey about the data center project, which is estimated to be valued at $10 billion.

Lacy Lakeview Mayor Charles Wilson told the Waco Bridge that "For the city, a tax base of this quantity is a paradigm-changer for us."

"We're obviously keen on seeing it get done."

But local residents appear resistant. A petition has been started in opposition to the project: "For those of us who call this area home, it's a frightening prospect,"website states. "The sound pollution alone will destroy the tranquility that makes our homes a sanctuary, disrupting our sleep and ability to rest."

Lacy Lakeview resident Lauren Hill told KXXV, "AI data investors are not interested in this town because they want to live here or they want their kids to go to these schools. They're interested in using this town as a resource and they want us to say yes to this deal very quickly."




https://thetexan.news/texas-local-news/major-520-acre-data-center-proposed-near-waco/article_ba3556c8-92a1-45ba-b8f4-507d7f29dac4.html
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Omperlodge
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In reply to Tailgate88 • 3:40p, 12/3/25
Tailgate88 said:
Deja Vu?

Major 520-Acre Data Center Proposed Near Waco
Lacy Lakeview and McLennan County are in negotiations about a new data center project.

Quote:
A suburb just north of Waco is currently the site for a proposed 520-acre data center, but local residents are voicing concerns about the future of the project.

Infrakey, a data center investment firm, plans to build "up to six" data centers. The City of Lacy Lakeview signed a memorandum of understanding with Infrakey in June, the same month the company purchased farmland for the project.

Lacy Lakeview and McLennan County remain in negotiations with Infrakey about the data center project, which is estimated to be valued at $10 billion.

Lacy Lakeview Mayor Charles Wilson told the Waco Bridge that "For the city, a tax base of this quantity is a paradigm-changer for us."

"We're obviously keen on seeing it get done."

But local residents appear resistant. A petition has been started in opposition to the project: "For those of us who call this area home, it's a frightening prospect,"website states. "The sound pollution alone will destroy the tranquility that makes our homes a sanctuary, disrupting our sleep and ability to rest."

Lacy Lakeview resident Lauren Hill told KXXV, "AI data investors are not interested in this town because they want to live here or they want their kids to go to these schools. They're interested in using this town as a resource and they want us to say yes to this deal very quickly."




https://thetexan.news/texas-local-news/major-520-acre-data-center-proposed-near-waco/article_ba3556c8-92a1-45ba-b8f4-507d7f29dac4.html

I really wish there was some type of agreement that they could force on these developers that says you agree that your facility is worth $10 billion and will also agree to percentage increases in its value at the same level as the average increase in the county for the next 25 years. They get built and then their lawyers are in there demanding they are worth $100 million and not $10 billion. When you take away the tax value, you are down to the double edge sword of electrical profits. These don't look at great on paper then.
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Jbob04
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8:05p, 12/3/25
AG
They are putting in a big one in the north Brazos valley, Leon county close to lake limestone. Almost 1k acres of prime hunting and ranching land will be gone soon. Sick of these damn things
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Koko Chingo
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In reply to Jbob04 • 7:34p, 12/6/25
AG
When I left the council meeting in September, I told my wife on the way home I think we won the battle and lost the war.

This is a national issue. They tried to sneak one into an overeducated community and it failed miserably.

No surprise the topic of data centers have been coming up in my feed after we all researched before the meeting last September. They are going up everywhere and really fast.

What's not going up really fast is increased power generating capacity. I read Colorado just announces they are phasing out natural gas in homes over the next 10 years. Lets see how well that works out. They are getting a bunch of datacenters built in Colorado.
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EliteElectric
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11:55a, 12/16/25
https://www.allsides.com/news/2025-12-16-0800/technology-ai-booms-data-centers-may-create-electricity-scarcity-among-users
www.elitellp.net/

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Hornbeck
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In reply to EliteElectric • 12:06p, 12/16/25
AG
EliteElectric said:
https://www.allsides.com/news/2025-12-16-0800/technology-ai-booms-data-centers-may-create-electricity-scarcity-among-users

Man, I wish I'd have seen that coming.

Instead, we have the mayor bemoaning the cash windfall (boon, even) that the city coffers would have seen.

And in a few years, he would not be around to see us with rolling brownouts.
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