'People Are Really Concerned': Gina Hinojosa Defends Position To Stop New Data Center Construction
Texas State Representative Gina Hinojosa defended her position on stopping new data center construction in Texas, advocating for a full moratorium and new regulations. This comes after Governor Abbott placed a temporary pause on new data center approvals and ordered an audit amidst shifting public opinion. Concerns center on water consumption during droughts, electricity subsidies, and the lack of local control over hyperscale data center development.
Texas State Representative and gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa (D-TX) recently spoke with CNN’s Dana Bash, defending her stance on halting new data center construction in Texas. Hinojosa's comments follow a shift in public opinion regarding data centers, which has prompted Governor Abbott to implement a temporary pause on new approvals and order an audit.
Hinojosa argued that the choice between construction jobs and protecting communities is a false one, emphasizing the need for regulations. She described Texas as the "wild west of data centers," noting that hundreds of facilities have been built with significant tax breaks under Governor Abbott's administration. She highlighted public anger over the lack of protection concerning water and electricity resources, citing a meeting in Red Oak, a small rural community outside Dallas, where residents are facing seven hyperscale data centers without adequate infrastructure or regulatory oversight.
She proposed laws that would prioritize Texas residents' water consumption, eliminate electricity subsidies for data centers, and grant local communities the authority to decide if and how these facilities can operate within their areas. Hinojosa stressed that Texans are pro-business but require common-sense laws to manage the "hyperscale impacts" of these data centers on their communities, asserting that Governor Abbott's actions are merely an attempt to boost his re-election chances.