Democrat Gina Hinojosa will replace Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in January. Abbott has served more than a decade in the office. Democrats won every major statewide race in the November election and took control of the house.
During her campaign, Hinojosa called on Abbott to issue an executive order placing an immediate moratorium on data center development in Texas. Her campaign website says infrastructure for data centers, including 765-kV transmission lines, should be paid for by the corporations and billionaires that drive those costs. The website also acknowledges the need to improve grid reliability.
Abbott issued a temporary data center moratorium in September, before the election. Concerns about water use and rising electricity prices have led to opposition in both conservative and liberal areas of Texas, including North Texas communities such as Red Oak and Keller.