Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa visits Texas Panhandle data center site
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa visited the proposed Project Matador data center site in the Texas Panhandle. She addressed residents' concerns about water usage, proposing legislation to prioritize water for people and an immediate moratorium on new data centers. Hinojosa also linked her stance to Governor Greg Abbott's plans to eliminate tax breaks for data centers.
Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor, recently visited the future site of Project Matador in the Texas Panhandle, a proposed development billed as the world's largest data center. During her visit, Hinojosa addressed concerns from local residents regarding the impact of large data centers on the region's limited water supply.
She stated that as governor, she would be prepared to declare an emergency to halt water consumption by data centers if necessary, advocating for legislation to prioritize water for the populace. Hinojosa also called for an immediate moratorium on the construction of new data centers. She linked this proposal to current Governor Greg Abbott's stated intention to work with the legislature next year to eliminate tax breaks for data centers, suggesting that Abbott's announcement incentivizes developers to rush projects to avoid future taxes.
Additionally, border security and Operation Lone Star were discussed during her visit. Hinojosa emphasized the need to ensure state money is spent effectively on making communities safer, advocating for investment in local police forces and county sheriff's offices.