State of Texas: Lawmakers respond to concerns over data center boom

News Clip7:19KXAN·TX·3/28/2026

Across Texas, communities are increasingly concerned about data center developments, particularly regarding water usage and strain on the power grid. State lawmakers are responding by proposing new rules to make large users pay for power connections and forming a working group to address citizen concerns and establish regulatory guardrails.

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Gov: Texas State Legislature, Erin Zwiener
Data Center Concerns Grow Across Texas – Communities statewide are pushing back against massive data center projects, raising alarms about water use, grid strain, and local control. Grace Gates reports on how lawmakers are responding, including new rules forcing large users to pay for power connections and bipartisan efforts to craft guardrails before development accelerates further. Will DuPree interviews State Rep. Erin Zwiener about her move to create a working group to address citizen concerns about data centers. Listen to the State of Texas Podcast every week, wherever you get your pods: https://www.kxan.com/state-of-texas-podcast/ Stay informed about Texas politics and the latest from the weekly State of Texas show on our website, KXAN+ smart TV app and social media: https://www.kxan.com/state-of-texas https://www.kxan.com/watch-kxan-on-roku-apple-tv-amazon-fire-tv/ https://www.youtube.com/c/KXANAustinNews?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.facebook.com/KXANnews/ https://twitter.com/KXAN_News https://www.instagram.com/kxan_news