James Talarico rolls out data centers plan. It's a lot like Greg Abbott's
Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott are both proposing plans to address the growing backlash against data centers in Texas. Their middle-ground proposals include repealing tax breaks, mandating water reuse, and preventing infrastructure costs from being passed to ratepayers. Talarico further advocates for empowering local communities with zoning authority, while the Attorney General's office is reviewing requests from counties regarding local moratoriums.
Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has unveiled a plan to address growing opposition to data centers in Texas, a proposal that shares similarities with initiatives from Republican Governor Greg Abbott. Both politicians are advocating for a "middle ground" approach, aiming to balance economic growth with community protection, particularly in rural areas where voter backlash against data centers has been significant.
Key aspects of their shared vision include repealing state sales tax exemptions for data centers, which they believe fuel the boom, and imposing requirements for water reuse. Additionally, they seek to prevent data center companies from transferring infrastructure costs to local ratepayers.
Talarico's plan, however, goes further by proposing to empower local communities with the authority to decide whether data centers can be built in their towns. This addresses a major concern from residents who feel current development occurs without their consent, given that Texas counties currently lack zoning authority. Abbott has not publicly supported county-level zoning but has called for "guardrails" and restrictions on building AI data centers in rural neighborhoods.
The debate is unfolding as Attorney General Ken Paxton considers multiple pending requests from counties, including Hood and Delta, seeking opinions on their ability to enact local moratoria on data center development. Recent polling indicates strong statewide opposition to data centers, especially among rural Texans.