The data center backlash is reshaping Texas politics
By Texas Tribune Events Staff, The Texas Tribune
August 28, 2026
Data centers are reshaping Texas communities, and the politics around them don’t break along familiar lines.
On Wednesday, Sept. 9, The Texas Tribune convened a panel examining where Texans actually stand on the data center boom, how opinions are shifting and what it means for November’s elections.
Panelists included Paul Cobler, the Tribune’s economy and industry reporter; Taylor Goldenstein, enterprise and investigative reporter for the Tribune; and James Henson, founder and executive director of the Texas Politics Project, a nonpartisan research hub focused on Texas government and politics. The program was moderated by Rebekah Allen, managing editor of enterprise and politics for the Tribune.
The conversation explored the rising discontent from Texas conservatives around data centers that has emerged this election cycle; Gov. Greg Abbott’s changing position on data centers and the legislative recommendations and steps he has taken; and the impact of a moratorium halting data center development pending audits by ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
The panel also discussed the growing push for local control on data center development, support for a special legislative session, and how Democratic leaders’ have positioned themselves on the issue, including state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee, and state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, Democratic candidate for Texas Governor.
This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.