Beacon's Pollution Application is Clear Warning

Beacon Data Centers listed a number of entities in its air emissions application with Texas Council for Environmental Quality, a state department that schedules polluters and water table depleters.  Entities include Beacon Data Centers, Beacon Services USA LLC and Westline TX Holdings LLC.  All use a Texas corporate registration agent in Austin.  

The application indicates the site will become a major electrical generation facility with hundreds of generators, both natural gas and diesel.  It also will be able to pump huge volumes of water.

It states "100 hours per fire water pump" times 60 pumps times 3,528 gallons per hour equals 21.2 million gallons.

A flow rate of 84 BPH (Barrels Per Hour) translates to roughly 58.8 gallons per minute (GPM) or 3,528 gallons per hour (GPH)

That is for one aspect of a giant operation.  Beacon already dropped its promise not to drill wells and avoid using groundwater.

The generators need to be in a climate controlled area as their maximum operating air temperature is 100 degrees.   So cooling is needed for both the data center side and the electrical generation side of the massive operation.

As for pollutants Westline is seeking TCEQ's stamp of approval for increased emission thresholds for seven pollutants:

Beacon started by calling the project Dove Creek Technology Campus but their public meeting at the Four56 Church did not as planned.  

After encountering significant local opposition Beacon instituted a name change.  It can be seen in their Delaware corporate registration (the week after the public meeting).

Concho Observer ran a piece suggesting pollution from the site would be minor relative to other uses.  That should not be a surprise as their owner represented Beacon at the Tom Green County Commissioners' Court in May and is a prominent attorney and member of the political Blue Team.

Beacon is backed by private equity firm Nadia Partners.  An interruption of capital flows could quickly derail this project.  Citizens will find out if Nadia has the goods to bring this abomination to life.  

Outside finances there is little to nothing standing in their way in permissive, already hot & drought prone Texas.  Beacon paid an extra $20,000 on top of the $75,000 fee to have their pollution request expedited.