The City of Fort Worth has established a new body to examine the local effects of expanding data center infrastructure. The Fort Worth Data Center & Infrastructure Commission (DCIC) began operations this week with a mandate to produce a final policy report for the City Council by Nov. 3.
The initiative follows an Aug. 11 resolution that directed the City Manager to assemble an expert group to address operational and community concerns related to these facilities.
Mike Slattery, director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at Texas Christian University, leads the effort. He is responsible for selecting panel members, overseeing the research framework, and drafting the final recommendations. The commission consists of 11 voting members drawn from industry, academia, environmental advocacy, and community leadership.
Five of these seats were filled based on nominations from City Councilmembers to ensure neighborhood perspectives are included.
The panel’s scope covers several key areas, including grid power demands, water usage, land-use compatibility, neighborhood disruption, and economic development goals. Members include representatives from JLL, QTS Data Centers, and the North Fort Worth Alliance, alongside academic figures from UT Arlington and TCU. Community voices are represented by leaders from organizations such as the Greater Fort Worth Sierra Club and the 2871 Community Coalition.
To support the commission’s findings with peer-reviewed evidence, a multidisciplinary research team is assisting with data analysis and literature reviews. Contributors from TCU, UT Arlington, Cornell University, and the University of North Texas are involved. This group includes experts in engineering, computer science, economics, and environmental sciences, such as Dr. Seth Hall and Dr. Weiwei Liu.
