Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa calls for data center protections

Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa says the state should pause data center activity until protections for residents are in place. In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, she said work with artificial intelligence companies should benefit Texans and that communities should have a say in whether data centers are built nearby.

Texas has attracted data center construction, including facilities serving major AI companies. Hinojosa said many have moved into mostly rural communities where, in her view, rules do not adequately protect residents. She has pledged to introduce laws to change the state’s approach and campaigned on a temporary moratorium on data centers.

A CNN poll cited by TechRadar found that 75% of Texas respondents opposed building data centers near their homes. Hinojosa’s position echoes opposition voiced by Democratic candidates who won in the US midterm elections, as well as some Republicans, according to the report.

The article also points to Anthropic’s recent IPO filings, which describe its data center infrastructure supply chain as highly complex and warn that delays or failures could significantly affect the company. The precise form of Hinojosa’s proposed policy remains unclear. She said she objected to how data centers were taking advantage of Texas, rather than to data centers themselves.