County Judge Randy Hoyer hinted last week that a resolution opposing the development of data centers, battery energy storage systems and other renewable energy projects such as solar farms will feature in an upcoming Commissioners Court meeting.
Hoyer told the Dispatch Record the county is likely to adopt the resolution after receiving quite a bit of pushback on such facilities. At the Lampasas County Commissioners Court regular meeting March 23, several residents expressed concerns about BESS facilities and data centers.
“The consensus we are getting from the people, citizens of Lampasas County would prefer not to have these types of project,” Hoyer said. “Trying to preserve the rural, agricultural aspect of the county [is their intent].”
Currently, no data centers are planned for Lampasas County, according to DataCenterMap. com. Most of the Lone Star State’s 411 data centers in the planning stages or already constructed are located in larger metropolitan areas. However, several facilities are in development for more rural areas.
In fact, there are plans for a 250-500 MW cryptocurrency mining facility in Brady that is set to be energized by 2028.
Along with concerns about data centers taking valuable agricultural land, Hoyer and commissioners are concerned about the impact on energy and water resources in the county.
“We simply don’t have enough water as it is now. Power, electricity is another thing,” Hoyer said. “Some of these data centers demand significant power and water [to operate].”
Although data centers are yet to enter Lampasas County, six battery energy storage systems facilities are planned, with one -- the 200 MW Thomas Cameron BESS facility on County Road 2275 -- already under development.
Hoyer said the county was not made aware of the BESS facility’s development on CR 2275 until local residents brought the matter to the Commissioners Court. He noted renewable energy projects are not required to present their plans to county officials unless they seek an abatement.
“There is nothing in statute or the authority to say yay or nay on a transaction between an energy company and the private property owner,” the county judge said. “If the energy company wants to buy this property to put a project in, the county cannot say yay or nay.”
Some counties, like Kerr and Gillespie, have adopted fire codes to help regulate BESS facilities in their jurisdictions. Currently, Lampasas County does not have an adopted fire code for the unincorporated areas.
Hoyer said the court might explore adopting a fire code if public pressure mounts. He said a fire code not only would affect BESS facilities, it also would require the hiring of a fire marshal to enforce the code.
“We need to be prepared that it is more than battery energy storsaid.
age companies [to which the code would apply],” Hoyer said. “You can’t pick and choose who needs to follow the code. All of a sudden, new home construction in the rural areas must have an inspection and approval. I don’t know if Lampasas County is necessarily there yet.”
Of the five BESS facilities in Lampasas County on which construction has not yet started, the judge said the county has been in contact with two of the energy companies involved. These are the 142.9 MW Gibson Branch BESS and the 306.2 MW Aurora Energy Storage.
Hoyer said county officials have been in contact with EIP Storage, developer of the Aurora Energy Storage BESS to be located on CR 4717, for more than a year. He anticipates the company will seek a tax abatement from the Commissioners Court.
While most commissioners seem opposed to tax incentives, Hoyer was not afraid to admit that by granting an abatement, the county does have more say on the project.
“Then, you can negotiate sound barrier walls, vegetation to hide it, road use agreements to repair the roads after they have damaged them, decommissioning bonds that if they go out of business, there is money to get rid of them,” Hoyer said. “And they are going to write a check that is $1 million a year. That is worth four pennies of tax. That is hard to turn down.”
The discussion on granting EIP Storage an abatement for its facility is expected to appear on a future Commissioners Court meeting agenda.
