Summary Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa pledged to halt data-centre approvals, raising uncertainty for an industry drawn by the state’s low costs and energy supplies.
HOUSTON (Web Desk) - Texas’ booming data-centre industry faces uncertainty after governor-elect Gina Hinojosa pledged to crack down on the rapid expansion of server facilities.
Hinojosa defeated Republican Greg Abbott in a major upset on Tuesday. During the final weeks of her campaign, she called for a statewide moratorium and vowed to “stop the data centre takeover.”
Texas has become a major destination for data-centre development because of its abundant energy supplies, relatively inexpensive land and business-friendly policies. Major technology companies, including Meta, Google and Microsoft, have announced large projects in the state over the past two years.
However, growing opposition in rural communities and a surge in requests to connect to the state’s power grid prompted Abbott to order a pause on data-centre permits earlier this year.
Before the election, Hinojosa said she would go further by blocking all data-centre approvals until the state legislature passes laws to protect Texans and ensure communities have a say in whether and how such facilities are built.
