The data center fight in San Antonio, Texas
As of October 1, 2026, San Antonio, Texas rejected a data center moratorium (action taken Aug 26, 2026).
Status is derived, not stored — a pause with a documented end date flips to Expired on its own — and the source is right next to the claim.
Status today
Three council members (Galvan, Castillo, Meza Gonzalez) filed an Aug 7 memo for a 3-6 month moratorium. At the Aug 26 session most of council declined it by consensus and chose UDC amendments instead: 500-ft buffers from homes, schools and hospitals, industrial/commercial zones only, noise buffers, possible special-use authorization. Zoning Commission Sep 15, council vote Oct 15, 2026
SourceNews
read 2026-09-05
An expiry date is the earliest a pause could have ended — extensions are common, so confirm with the clerk before citing it.
The projects on the table
Microsoft SAT40 — Under construction
Operator: Microsoft · Owner: Microsoft · Size: 75 MW
Chip types: H100,B300. Epoch AI estimates ~75 MW.
Next: Under construction — pull the approved conditions and permits and hold the builder to them; an expansion or a new building reopens the record.
Latest in the record
- 2025-12-28 — San Antonio Report quoted District 6 Councilmember Ric Galvan raising concerns about data center energy demands, limited job creation, industry opacity, and noise impacts in the far west side area where Microsoft operates, questioning what economic return the city receives from tax incentive deals. · source
- 2023-08-07 — San Antonio Report reported that Microsoft had built at least seven data centers in San Antonio and one in Medina County over the prior eight years, investing over $1.2 billion; the article identified SAT40 at 15000 Lambda Drive in Texas Research Park as a $175.9 million project on 70 acres with Turner Construction as the builder. · source
- 2023-06-15 — Construction began on the SAT40 data center building shell at 15000 Lambda Drive per the TDLR filing, with a scheduled completion date of September 15, 2023. · source
- 2023-03-03 — Microsoft registered TDLR project TABS2023013247 for SAT40, a 153,227 sq ft data center at 15000 Lambda Drive, San Antonio (Bexar County), with an estimated cost of $175.9 million, designed by Page Southerland Page, with construction scheduled from June to September 2023. · source
- 2018-08-24 — Microsoft registered TDLR project EABPRJB8824650 (SAT11-14) for three 225,000 sq ft data center buildings at 15000 Lambda Drive, San Antonio, with an estimated cost of $62 million and completion date of December 2023, designed by Corgan Associates. · source
Full dated timeline on the project tracker.
Source. Read 2026-08-14.
Microsoft SAT14 — Under construction
Operator: Microsoft · Owner: Microsoft · Size: 47 MW
Chip types: H100,B300. Epoch AI estimates ~47 MW.
Next: Under construction — pull the approved conditions and permits and hold the builder to them; an expansion or a new building reopens the record.
Latest in the record
- 2026-08-10 — Microsoft sent a letter to Governor Greg Abbott stating it has operated datacenters in Texas since 2016, hosts over 635 employees at its own facilities with 1,600-plus on-site contractors, and described its Community-First Infrastructure initiative and a behind-the-meter natural gas project in West Texas with Chevron. · source
- 2026-06-01 — Microsoft and EY published a June 2026 economic impact report for the San Antonio datacenter campus (Bexar and Medina Counties) showing $2.34 billion in construction economic activity since 2016, operations since 2019, 635 direct Microsoft jobs in 2025, $48.4 million in incremental tax revenue in Bexar and Medina Counties, and Microsoft as the number-one taxpayer in both counties. · source
- 2022-12-01 — SAT14 Phase 1 construction was completed and the TDLR project was closed, per the filing's recorded completion date. · source
- 2021-10-01 — Construction began on SAT14 Phase 1 at 3545 Wiseman Boulevard, San Antonio, per the TDLR project filing; the design firm was Page Southerland Page of Austin. · source
- 2021-07-06 — Microsoft registered SAT14 Phase 1 (project TABS2021019142) with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for new construction of two building shells (152,000 sq ft and 107,000 sq ft) totaling 259,000 sq ft at 3545 Wiseman Boulevard, San Antonio, Bexar County, with an estimated cost of $154.9 million. · source
Full dated timeline on the project tracker.
Source. Read 2026-08-14.
Vantage TX1 — Under construction
Size: 32 MW
Chip types: B200. Epoch AI estimates ~32 MW.
Next: Under construction — pull the approved conditions and permits and hold the builder to them; an expansion or a new building reopens the record.
Latest in the record
- 2026-07-29 — WOAI/News4SA reported that Vantage obtained minor pollution source permits (typically for dry cleaners and gas stations) for its two San Antonio data center complexes, allowing it to bypass major-source pollution controls and community notification requirements. · source
- 2026-07-28 — Texas Public Radio reported environmental groups threatening lawsuit over the two West Side Vantage campuses at 14270 Omicron Drive and 5207 Rogers Road; a TCEQ public hearing on Vantage's proposed federal operating permit for the Omicron Drive campus was scheduled for August 17, 2026. · source
- 2026-07-22 — Environmental Integrity Project, Sierra Club, and Public Citizen filed a notice of intent to sue Vantage and VoltaGrid under the Clean Air Act, alleging the Omicron Drive and Rogers Road campuses (combined 423 MW of generation, 151 diesel generators) improperly obtained minor-source permits to avoid major-source pollution controls; potential fines cited at up to $124,426 per day. · source
- 2026-06-11 — San Antonio Current reported residents pushing back against the far West Side Vantage data center; the Rogers Road facility (360,000 sq ft, ~$157 million) was described as already constructed and partly operational, with 65 diesel backup generators and its own gas power plant. · source
- 2026-06-08 — Deceleration.news reported that Vantage's two West Side San Antonio campuses (Omicron Drive and Rogers Road) were bringing major new pollution sources to the area, including on-site natural gas power plants and over 150 diesel backup generators. · source
- 2026-05-28 — A TCEQ public hearing was held at a Marriott near SeaWorld regarding Vantage's air-quality permit for its Rogers Road (5207 Rogers Rd) facility; residents raised concerns about diesel generator emissions, noise, light pollution, and water usage. Vantage VP Michael Duplantis represented the company. · source
Full dated timeline on the project tracker.
Source. Read 2026-08-14.
Recent news
12 stories tracked since 2026-08-17 across 8 outlets. 8× Local officials are moving to pause or block the project. 3× A community is pushing back on a nearby data center. Most recent: “Data center battleground emerges between Austin, San Antonio” (The Business Journals, 2026-10-01).
- Data center battleground emerges between Austin, San Antonio
- 'We don't really know the answers': San Antonio realtors say it's too early to tell how data centers affect home values
- Data Center Moratorium Proposal Squeaks Forward in San Antonio
- San Antonio moves to tighten data center rules, holds off on call for moratorium
- San Antonio City Council may regulate, not ban, data centers
- San Antonio City Council signals tighter rules for data centers
- San Antonio city council leans toward data center regulation, but a moratorium seems less likely
- San Antonio City Council could add rules for data center development, but some leaders concerned about all-out pause
- San Antonio will consider regulating data centers. It’s unclear if that involves a moratorium.
- San Antonio will consider regulating data centers. It’s unclear if that involves a moratorium.
- A moratorium on data centers in San Antonio isn't a realistic policy response
- $500 Million Data Center Near San Antonio Adds to Texans’ Fight Over AI Expansion
Automated news aggregation, not human-verified — follow each link to the original outlet. Part of the story tracker, 12 headlines archived.
What to do next
- Questions to ask at the hearing — force specific answers onto the record.
- Estimate the impact — electricity, water, and rate pressure for any facility size in Texas.
- Model CBA clauses — copy-paste language communities have actually won.
- Texas briefing — rates, grid carbon, PUC contacts, and every fight in the state.
Nearby in Texas
- San Marcos (46 mi) — Enactedno end date — permanent
- Hays County (52 mi) — Enactedexpires 2026-12-31
- Texas (Abbott directive) (74 mi) — Enactedno fixed end — runs until a condition is met
- Austin (74 mi) — Proposedterm not documented
- Corpus Christi (130 mi) — Proposedterm not documented
- Milam County (133 mi) — Enactedterm not documented
- Austin County (136 mi) — Enactedterm not documented
- Tom Green County (182 mi) — Rejectedterm not documented
All 23 tracked actions in Texas are on the state page.
As of August 2026 (2m ago) · changes weekly — re-check before citing
Illustrative rather than exhaustive — dozens of localities churn weekly, and this tracks the ones we have read a source for. **Each row carries its own provenance.** Rows showing a verification date link to the ordinance, the enacting body's own page, or a datable report of the vote, and were read on that date. Rows marked *unverified* came from bulk compilation and have not been checked against a primary source — the locality, the year, and the status may all be off. Verify one of those with the town clerk before citing it as precedent. **Expiry is derived, not asserted.** A row with a documented end date flips to *Expired* on its own once that date passes. A time-limited moratorium whose start date was never documented keeps showing as enacted — that is a known gap, not a claim that it is still in force. Moratoriums are also routinely extended, so an expiry date is the earliest it could have ended, not proof that it did.
Part of the U.S. data center moratorium tracker — open data, CC BY 4.0.