Fort Worth Advisory Panel Proposes 19 Data Center Rules Covering Water, Land Use and Power

Fort Worth's Data Center & Infrastructure Commission presented its findings to the City Council on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. The 11-member advisory group, chaired by Texas Christian University environmental studies director Michael Slattery, produced 19 recommendations across water, land use, economic impact and electricity, detailed in a 156-page report.

The work followed a July vote by zoning commissioners to reject proposed data center zoning rules, after which staff were directed to draft stricter ordinances. During the same meeting, council held the first public hearing on the city's 90-day data center moratorium, which state law requires.

On water, the panel suggests requiring a zero-water cooling design using nonevaporative closed-loop systems with limited adiabatic cooling, plus public disclosure of water use. For land use, it recommends a minimum 350-foot setback from homes and a measurable noise-enforcement framework, with setbacks increasing as building height rises. Electricity proposals include a technical fact sheet from developers and verifiable grid-relief commitments.

The commission deliberately did not map zones for data centers, and the largest disagreement among members centered on the 350-foot figure. The report also comes ahead of the 2027 state legislative session.

For developers and lenders, the practical takeaway is that setback, cooling and noise standards may become enforceable requirements in Fort Worth, so site feasibility should account for them.