Reporting by Kirsten Crow, Corpus Christi Caller Times
The City Council will not pursue a moratorium on data centers in Corpus Christi at this point, but officials are exploring policies that could potentially provide some form of regulation, should data centers seek development in city limits.
There have been some inquiries by data center companies about empty property near the Corpus Christi International Airport, but they are early conversations and anything that would occur on the airport property would need to be considered by the council under the lease agreement, said Ryan Skrobarczyk, director of the city’s intergovernmental relations department, addressing the council July 21.
It’s not a likely project, said City Manager Peter Zanoni — the council would need to agree to sell the property and it is needed for future runways.
Despite early talks between data center companies and the Corpus Christi International Airport, several staff members cast doubt that a data center would be developed within the city limits — in part, because there is existing development around power substations.
Researching potential regulation on data centers in Corpus Christi
Several council members and staff pointed out that the state is currently weighing options on managing data centers, which could influence local policies if they are created.
In a 7-1 vote, the City Council directed the staff to create classifications for data centers in Corpus Christi, as well as look into zoning options or potential industrial district agreements.
City Councilman Roland Barrera voted in dissent, and City Councilwoman Sylvia Campos abstained.
Some of the work described by the council was already underway, staff said.
“There’s nothing wrong with being ready to react to things like this,” Zanoni said. “I think we’re ahead of the game if we do some minor adjustments to the [unified development code] and just look at the issue.”
Any proposed amendments to the city’s codes could incorporate any state action on data centers before recommendation, staff said.
Kirsten Crow covers city government and water news. Have a story idea? Contact her at kirsten.crow@caller.com.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times.
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