Compass Datacenters to Gov. Abbott: We Agree. Raise the Standards.

Compass has operated this way for 15 years. Every developer should be held to the same high bar.

DALLAS, Aug. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Compass Datacenters, a Class A, Community-First data center developer headquartered in Dallas, today reaffirmed its commitment to responsible data center development in Texas and its long-held belief that this growth should be measured by how well it serves the communities that host it. Compass looks forward to working with the Texas Legislature, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), and Governor Abbott's office to ensure the highest standards for data center development across the state - to the benefit of all Texans.

We build every campus as a 100-year asset. One we own and operate ourselves, benefiting communities for decades to come. Every developer should earn its place in the community that hosts it, and that means being a long-term partner. Communities should judge a developer by whether it communicates honestly, pays its share, minimizes impacts and leaves the community stronger because it stayed, not just passed through. The question facing Texas is not whether data centers will be built. It is who communities can trust to build them.

The questions our industry is being asked are fair ones. Governor Abbott's directive asks whether data centers pay their own way, strengthen the grid, are responsible stewards of water, protect their neighbors and are transparent about who owns them. Data center developers should be able to answer these questions and stand behind the requirements. On each count, our answers are the same. We agree, and we already operate that way.

Data centers should strengthen the grid and pay their own way. We agree. Compass funds its own grid infrastructure, so those costs aren't passed on to residents. And when the grid is under stress - storms, heavy weather, unplanned outages - we voluntarily work with grid operators to reduce our load and help keep homes powered.

Data centers shouldn't use your water. We agree. Our closed-loop cooling system recycles the same water indefinitely, and we're committed to using available recycled wastewater for commissioning. Once operational, each Compass data center uses roughly the same amount of water per year as two average households.

Data centers shouldn't be a nuisance. We agree. That means managing noise to fall within or below local ordinances, implementing thoughtful setbacks, ensuring lighting is not a nuisance to neighbors, along with construction practices that reduce truck traffic in the community.

Data centers should have the financial backing and customers to succeed for the long run. We agree. Developers should have sufficient financial backing to complete the project and the credit-rated customers to fill it. Compass will not ask for, nor are we dependent upon, local tax abatements.

In a recent Fortune op-ed, Chris Crosby, Compass' Founder and Chief Executive Officer, underscored this agreement, saying: "When our elected leaders push for tougher standards for our industry, my response is the same: good - raise them. Ask for more on water, energy, infrastructure upgrades, community investment, and accountability. Just measure every developer by the same yardstick." Trust is earned well before construction starts - through transparency, regular communication and commitments residents can see and measure over time. Data center developers should disclose their water use, their community commitments, how they fund their own infrastructure and who owns them. Compass already does.

Likewise, utilities should be expected to complete their due diligence and studies of prospective developments in a transparent, thorough, and timely manner. Getting this right for Texans works best when the whole process is transparent and accountable, and Compass welcomes the opportunity to work alongside utility and transmission partners, ERCOT and the PUCT to build it together. A process that is clear and accountable on all sides is how Texas ensures only responsible developers move forward and how Class A developers earn the confidence of the communities that host them.

Compass is committed to being a responsible neighbor and a constructive partner as Texas defines the future of data center development. The company's position is simple: hold every developer and utility to the highest standard - including us.

About Compass 

Compass Datacenters does data centers differently. The company develops and operates sustainable Class A, Community-First campuses guided by a 100-year neighbor philosophy that invests in the workforce, infrastructure, and well-being of every community it calls home. Backed by the institutional strength of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, Brookfield Infrastructure and KKR, Compass delivers high-quality facilities at speed for the cloud and hyperscale customers driving today's economy. By combining industrialized, prefabricated design with advanced hybrid cooling, responsible water and energy use, and zero-waste construction, Compass takes a more sustainable approach to digital infrastructure supporting the company's built-to-last vision. The result is move-in ready capacity that scales efficiently and responsibly. Data Centers Done Differently.

SOURCE Compass Datacenters