Gov. Greg Abbott calls for ban on data center development in rural Texas neighborhoods
Abbott said new facilities should bring their own power and water as nearly half of planned projects are slated for unincorporated areas, analysts found.
- On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott called for banning new data center development in rural Texas neighborhoods during a campaign stop in Bullard, marking a significant policy shift for the Republican governor.
- Abbott previously welcomed data centers, calling Texas the "epicenter of AI development" after Google announced a $40 billion investment in November, but now faces concerns about water availability, air quality, and power bills from rural communities.
- The governor instructed the Public Utility Commission to ensure developments do not burden local communities, demanding that facilities provide their own power, water, and infrastructure improvements while eliminating tax breaks.
- Local officials struggle to implement moratoriums due to limited zoning authority; Angelina County Judge Keith Wright stated, "We have no authority to do a moratorium or to stop any type of development in the county."
- Regulatory agencies must respond to the governor's recommendations by July 17, while industry groups argue data centers provide critical infrastructure and property tax benefits, signaling ongoing legislative debates ahead.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Texas Gov. Abbott says data centers should be barred from ‘rural neighborhoods’
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said AI data centers must be prohibited from being built in rural neighborhoods. Speaking Tuesday at a campaign event in Bullard, Texas, Abbott said he has already made it clear that data centers wanting to build…
Associated Press News
Gov. Greg Abbott calls for ban on data center development in rural Texas neighborhoods
Gov. Greg Abbott called for blocking new data center development in rural parts of the state during a campaign stop in East Texas on Tuesday.
Capitol Fa - Your Illinois News Radar » Data center enthusiasm plummets further CapitolFax.com
* Texas Tribune… Gov. Greg Abbott called for blocking new data center development in rural parts of the state during a campaign stop in East Texas on Tuesday. “We must prohibit them from building AI data centers in rural Texas neighborhoods,” Abbott said at the Bullard event, which primarily discussed his plan to cut property taxes, adding [...]
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