Staff told commissioners the Berkley Group provided first-draft zoning articles and emphasized noise metrics, decommissioning and embedding data‑center performance standards across the code rather than a stand‑alone overlay; a joint board/commission work session is planned for September.

Staff told the commission the Berkley Group has delivered initial draft articles for a zoning and subdivision ordinance rewrite focused on performance standards for data centers — noise, decommissioning, and reporting — and commissioners pressed for a joint board/commission work session so the planning commission can provide substantive input.

Data center operators increasingly commit to Texas standards as power companies endorse ERCOT framework A growing number of data center operators, including Skybox Datacenters based in Dallas, Mara—an Austin-headquartered bitcoin miner and hyperscale developer—and global colocation giant Digital Realty, have publicly affirmed their commitment to comply with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s data center standards and

Senator Warner said AI progress may outpace public understanding and urged federal standards for data centers and testing regimes "beyond voluntary testing" before public release of leading models.