EL PASO, Texas — A new AI-optimized Meta data center is taking shape in far East El Paso. While supporters tout billions in investment and hundreds of new jobs, residents nearby are voicing serious concerns about water usage, electricity and the effects on their neighborhoods.

The data center is currently under construction in the northeast part of the city of El Paso. Meta says it selected El Paso for its workforce, available open land and access to renewable energy. As the project advances, many in this community are now asking questions about how they’ll be affected by one of the region’s largest tech investments.

In the desert area on the outskirts of the city, the massive 1.2 million-square-foot facility is now under construction. It’s the tech giant’s future data center, a project

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