The Data Center Download
Big Tech is taking Texas land, Texas water, and Texas power…to build data centers with zero accountability.
Texas is already the second largest data center market in the country and is on track to surpass Virginia by 2030. The buildout is accelerating, and most Texans have no idea what is coming.
Join Humans First in Houston for The Data Center Download…a no-nonsense briefing from national experts, Texas lawmakers, and frontline activists pulling back the curtain on the data center boom, who is behind it, and what Texans can do to fight back.
SPEAKERS:
- Texas State Representative Cody Vasut (HD25)
- Texas State Representative Wes Virdell (HD53)
- Scott Salter, Alvin City Council Member at Large
- Michael Rice, Data Center Engineer & Infrastructure Operations Expert
- Greg Harrell, Hood County GOP Chair & SREC Committeeman
📍 George R. Brown Convention Center | Room 322 AB
📅 Wednesday, June 10th
⏰ 4:00 – 6:00 PM
SPEAKERS' BIOS:
Texas State Representative Cody Vasut (HD25)
Representative Cody Vasut is an eighth generation Texan who has represented House District 25 in Brazoria County since 2021. A summa cum laude graduate of Texas A&M University and the University of Houston Law Center, he has practiced law for over a decade and previously served on the Angleton City Council. In the 89th Legislature, he chairs the House Redistricting Committee and serves on the Ways & Means and Culture, Recreation & Tourism committees. As a legislator representing one of Texas’ fastest-growing regions, he brings valuable insight into how infrastructure development and state policy impact local communities.
Texas State Representative Wes Virdell (HD53)
Representative Wes Virdell represents Texas House District 53, a vast rural district spanning West and Central Texas. A ninth-generation Texan from Brady, he served in the U.S. Air Force before building a career as a small business owner in the trucking industry. Elected to the Texas House in 2024, he serves on the Land & Resource Management Committee and the Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, making him a strong voice on how large-scale data center development affects Texas communities through its demands on land, water, energy infrastructure, and emergency preparedness.
Scott Salter, Alvin City Council Member At Large
Scott Salter is a business owner, volunteer firefighter, and marketing strategist serving as Alvin City Council Member At Large through May 2028. After learning of a proposed data center development near Alvin, he led efforts opposing the project, citing concerns about local infrastructure, electricity demand, and the city’s lack of zoning protections. He championed Alvin’s resolution opposing data center construction pending further review, making the city one of the first in Texas to formally push back against data center development and offering a model for communities across the state.
Michael Rice, Data Center Engineer & Infrastructure Operations Expert
Michael Rice is a Principal Linux and Infrastructure Automation Engineer with 25+ years designing, building, and operating data centers at scale. He has automated bare-metal provisioning across 100's of thousands of servers in enterprise and hyperscale environments — including VMware/ESXi, hybrid cloud, and edge deployments. Michael brings a practitioner's perspective: grounded in real deployments, skeptical of hype, and focused on what actually works.
Greg Harrell, Hood County GOP Chair & SREC Committeeman Greg Harrell is the newly reelected Chair of the Hood County Republican Party and Committeeman for Senate District 22 on the State Republican Executive Committee. When Hood County was targeted for eight hyperscale data centers, Harrell took the fight to the highest levels of the Texas GOP…drafting the “Resolution on the Establishment of Additional Data Centers in Texas,” which was overwhelmingly adopted by the Republican Party of Texas Executive Committee in February 2026. The resolution put the full weight of the Texas Republican Party on record against the unchecked rush to build massive data center facilities without first evaluating their impact on Texas people and resources. He is one of the most consequential grassroots voices in this fight.