Cook Bill Ties Data Center Tax Breaks To Liquid Cooling

The text as introduced · 749 words

89R15899 JBD-D

By: Cook
S.B. No. 2888

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the temporary sales and use tax exemptions for certain

tangible personal property related to data centers and large data

center projects.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 151.359(d), Tax Code, is amended to read

as follows:

(d) Subject to Subsection (k), a data center may be

certified by the comptroller as a qualifying data center for

purposes of this section if, on or after September 1, 2013:

(1) a single qualifying occupant:

(A) contracts with a qualifying owner or

qualifying operator to lease space in which the qualifying occupant

will locate a data center; or

(B) occupies a space that was not previously used

as a data center in which the qualifying occupant will locate a data

center, in the case of a qualifying occupant who is also the

qualifying operator and the qualifying owner; [ and ]

(2) the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or

qualifying occupant, jointly or independently:

(A) creates at least 20 qualifying jobs in the

county in which the data center is located, not including jobs moved

from one county in this state to another county in this state; and

(B) makes or agrees to make a capital investment,

on or after September 1, 2013, of at least $200 million in that

particular data center over a five-year period beginning on the

date the data center is certified by the comptroller as a qualifying

data center ; and

(3) the data center described by Subdivision (1)

includes the following energy conservation and efficiency

measures:

(A) use of a liquid cooling system instead of an

air cooling system;

(B) use of a row- or rack-based air cooling

system instead of a room-based air cooling system; and

(C) use of Energy Star-certified servers .

SECTION 2. Section 151.3595(d), Tax Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(d) Subject to Subsection (j), a large data center project

may be certified by the comptroller as a qualifying large data

center project for purposes of this section if, on or after June 1,

2015:

(1) a single qualifying occupant:

(A) contracts with a qualifying owner or

qualifying operator to lease space in which the qualifying occupant

will locate a large data center project; or

(B) occupies a space that was not previously used

as a data center in which the qualifying occupant will locate a

large data center project, in the case of a qualifying occupant who

is also the qualifying operator and the qualifying owner; [ and ]

(2) the qualifying owner, qualifying operator, or

qualifying occupant, independently or jointly:

(A) creates at least 40 qualifying jobs in the

county in which the large data center project is located, not

including jobs moved from one county in this state to another county

in this state;

(B) on or after May 1, 2015, makes or agrees to

make a capital investment of at least $500 million in that

particular large data center project, the amount of which may not

include a capital investment to replace personal property

previously placed in service in that large data center project,

over a five-year period beginning on the earlier of:

(i) the date the large data center project

submits the application described by Subsection (e); or

(ii) the date the large data center project

is certified by the comptroller as a qualifying large data center

project; and

(C) agrees to contract for at least 20 megawatts

of transmission capacity for operation of the large data center

project ; and

(3) the large data center project includes the

following energy conservation and efficiency measures:

(A) use of a liquid cooling system instead of an

air cooling system;

(B) use of a row- or rack-based air cooling

system instead of a room-based air cooling system; and

(C) use of Energy Star-certified servers .

SECTION 3. (a) Section 151.359(d), Tax Code, as amended by

this Act, applies only to the certification of a data center as a

qualifying data center for purposes of Section 151.359, Tax Code,

as amended by this Act, on or after September 1, 2026.

(b) Section 151.3595(d), Tax Code, as amended by this Act,

applies only to the certification of a large data center project as

a qualifying large data center project for purposes of Section

151.3595, Tax Code, as amended by this Act, on or after September 1,

2026.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.