Voters in Texas agree: They hate data centers
Texas voters are increasingly opposing the rapid expansion of data centers in their communities due to concerns over water usage, electricity demand, and tax subsidies. A coalition of diverse political groups has formed to challenge these developments ahead of the midterm elections.
Why it matters
The backlash highlights a growing tension between the infrastructure needs of the AI industry and local environmental and economic concerns.
Ask Texas NAACP president Gary Bledsoe what it’s been like to see data center developers descend upon Austin and its surrounding suburbs and he can rattle off project after project facing opposition from locals.
There’s the fight in Taylor over plans to build a data center at a site that’s supposed to be a park. Temple, around 40 miles away, is another sore spot, Bledsoe says. The mayor and City Council members there face recall attempts over data center developments. And some 30 miles outside of Austin, San Marcos became the first city in all of Texas to ban data centers.
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