Texas ag commissioner says Gov. Abbott needs to put farmers over data centers
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is urging Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special legislative session to address the unchecked expansion of data centers, which he argues threaten the state's agriculture, water resources, and electric grid. Miller criticizes Abbott's current policies as insufficient, claiming they favor global tech companies over Texans. Abbott's office maintains that the governor has already taken steps to protect Texans from data center impacts.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has publicly urged Governor Greg Abbott to convene a special legislative session. Miller contends that Abbott's current policies inadequately address the uncontrolled proliferation of massive data centers across Texas, which he warns threaten the state's agricultural sector, rural communities, and the stability of its electric grid.
Miller criticized Governor Abbott for citing the withdrawal of a single East Texas data center project as proof of effective policy. He argued that this isolated incident does not mitigate the broader issues of lost farmland, strain on the power grid, and depletion of vital water resources by the hundreds of data centers operating or planned statewide. He specifically highlighted data centers' daily consumption of millions of gallons of water for cooling, emphasizing water's critical role for Texas agriculture.
Commissioner Miller accused state leaders, including Governor Abbott, of granting preferential treatment to "billion-dollar technology" companies at the expense of rural Texans. He stressed that while Texas can expand its power infrastructure, water is an irreplaceable resource, urging immediate legislative action.
In response, Governor Abbott's Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris stated that the Governor has already taken steps to protect Texans. These include directing the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and ERCOT to mandate that data centers cover their own infrastructure costs, generate their own power, implement water recycling, and contribute to lowering residential electricity bills. Mahaleris affirmed the Governor's commitment to continue working with the Legislature to safeguard Texans' interests.