Poll: Strong Majorities of Texans Worried About Data Centers’ Water Use, Power Demands

A recent poll conducted by Pulse Decision Science for the Texas Public Policy Foundation indicates that a significant majority of Texas voters are worried about the impact of data centers on the state's resources and communities. The June survey of 800 registered voters found that over 60 percent strongly agreed that the rapid expansion of data centers creates serious challenges for local community planning, and similar percentages expressed concern about water consumption and the reliability of the Texas power grid.

In response to these growing concerns, Governor Greg Abbott has directed state regulators to implement measures ensuring that Texans are not financially burdened by expensive grid upgrades necessitated by data center expansion. He also advocated for limits on data center development in rural areas, emphasizing that such projects should be responsible for their own power, infrastructure, and water costs, preventing any increase in residential electric bills.

The article highlights that while 48 percent of Texans view data centers as a necessary part of the state's technology infrastructure and economic growth, 38 percent disagree. These divided sentiments are reflected in calls for temporary moratoriums on data centers, with figures like U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D–VT) introducing a bill to pause AI data centers and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller advocating for a moratorium. Some Texans are also pressing for a special legislative session to address data center regulations.