By Rives Taylor, principal, global resilience research lead, Gensler Texas is experiencing rapid growth in data center development as part of a broader push to support artificial intelligence (AI) ventures that have transformed digital infrastructure into a magnet for capital. As noted in Gensler’s recent Design Forecast, these assets demand abundant land, power and connectivity, making the region a natural fit for long-term growth in digital and industrial real estate. However, these facilities also require reliable access to significant water resources to support cooling systems that are essential for maintaining uninterrupted operations. As development increases, so do the needs for resources, and Texas lacks a consistent policy requiring operators to report essential metrics such as water use, energy consumption or cooling loads. This lack of transparency limits the ability of policymakers, communities and design professionals to fully understand the environmental impact of one of the state’s fastest-growing industrial sectors. With rising pressure on water supplies and power systems, the need for clearer reporting standards and more forward‑looking design approaches is becoming increasingly urgent. A recent white paper by the Houston Area Research Center (HARC), found that “without modernized planning and policy updates, the state faces a collision between finite water …
