Texas Debates Data Center Boom | Dallas News

Texas is heating up over data centers as election season looms, with residents worried about skyrocketing water and electricity bills—and communities losing vital resources. Democrats are calling for a pause on new construction until stricter rules are in place, while Governor Greg Abbott has already halted permits, ordering a full review of water use, power demands, noise, and light pollution. He insists these facilities can’t drain state resources or be built in rural areas. Candidates are stepping into the fray: Democrat James Talarico wants to end sales tax breaks and require closed-loop water systems, giving locals veto power. Republican Ken Paxton supports the review, proposes repealing tax exemptions, mandates self-funded power and closed-loop water, and calls for banning Chinese tech. With incentives totaling over $3 billion in the next two years, both parties now agree it’s time to cut back—while the Attorney General investigates a county’s request to block them altogether. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/9a7876c355f8e0fd