North Texas county explores data center moratorium

North Texas county explores data center moratorium

News ClipE&E News by POLITICO·Hood County, Hood County, TX·3/2/2026

A rural Texas county, Hood County, is exploring a data center moratorium in response to pressure from residents concerned about the impact of data centers on water usage and other issues. Local officials are unsure if a moratorium would be legal, and are seeking an opinion from the Texas Attorney General's office to clarify their authority. The tensions pit data center developers building for the AI industry against local landowners worried about the effects on their community.

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Gov: Hood County Board of Supervisors, Texas Attorney General's Office
As data centers pop up around Texas, a rural county has asked the state attorney general to clarify how much authority local officials have to control their construction. Hood County commissioners have held two votes on imposing a moratorium on data center construction, responding to pressure from