Goodwin challenges Patrick on schools, THC and data centers
Democratic Texas lieutenant governor candidate Vikki Goodwin supports pausing new data center construction until lawmakers adopt stronger protections for water supplies, electricity access and communities. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has directed Senate committees to study data centers’ resource needs, community impacts and tax exemptions.
The Texas lieutenant governor race includes competing positions on the state’s expanding data center industry. Democratic state Rep. Vikki Goodwin supports a pause on new construction until lawmakers establish stronger protections for water supplies, electricity access and affected communities, and says data center companies should pay for the resources they consume.
Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, seeking a fourth term, has directed Texas Senate committees to examine data centers’ water and electricity demands, community impacts and tax exemptions. The issue is one of several policy differences between Patrick and Goodwin, alongside public education, THC regulation and church-state issues.