Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa says she will ban and pause construction of new data centers to protect Texans. In a new interview, she said data centers and community protections can go hand in hand. She said the state has long been pro-business but that projects must be a partnership that benefits Texans. She said data centers have moved mostly into rural communities without rules to protect residents.
Nancy Sims, a political science lecturer at the University of Houston, said a governor can mainly act on future data centers. She said projects that already have permits and tax abatements cannot be quickly repealed, but a governor can put a moratorium on new ones. Sims also said the governor can appoint leaders who oversee permit processes, and she expects changes at the Public Utility Commission and the Texas Council on Environmental Quality.
Hinojosa has outlined goals for the next legislative session. They include requiring American union jobs, full transparency, lower costs for Texans, making data centers pay for themselves, and putting water and power for Texans first. In a campaign video before the election, she symbolically burned the law that allows tax breaks for data centers.