Texas governor-elect promises new data-center safeguards
Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa said Texas will enact legislation to protect rural communities from data-center impacts and pause new projects until safeguards are in place.
Texas governor-elect Gina Hinojosa announced plans to introduce legislation aimed at protecting residents from the effects of data-center development, particularly in rural areas. She said the state will halt further data-center projects until such protections are established and that local communities should have a "seat at the table" regarding how these facilities operate.
"Data centers have moved into mostly rural communities, and there are no rules and laws to protect Texans," Hinojosa told CNN.
Hinojosa, a Democrat who defeated incumbent Greg Abbott, highlighted concerns over electricity demand, water use, wildlife impacts and public access to federal lands that have fueled growing opposition to data-center expansion. She noted that the U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has promoted data-center growth as a national priority.
The incoming administration also intends to review recent actions by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission concerning the proposed sale of Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX, requesting that no decisions be made during the transition period. SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Abbott previously ordered a halt to new data-center connections to the state grid and called for a comprehensive audit, a move that Hinojosa said she will build upon with her own regulatory framework.