Texas voters push back on data centers ahead of 2026 midterms

In short: Data centers are becoming a major political issue in Texas, as voters across parties oppose new projects over water, power, and local impacts.

What's going on

Texas is seeing a fast rise in data centers, which are large buildings full of computers that run online services and AI (think of them as warehouses for the internet). A new coalition called We the People Texas, which includes the Texas NAACP and other groups, says it represents up to 1 million voters who want to stop or slow new construction.

Local fights are spreading. In Taylor, residents are opposing plans for a data center on land intended to become a park. In Temple, local leaders have faced recall attempts tied to data center development. San Marcos has gone further and became the first city in Texas to ban data centers.

Polls suggest the backlash is broad. An August poll found 57 percent of Texans oppose building more data centers, including 43 percent of Republicans, 75 percent of Democrats, and 54 percent of independents.

The concerns are practical. Critics point to water use in a drought-prone state, rising electricity demand, and tax subsidies. Data centers in Texas used about 25 billion gallons of water last year, according to the Houston Advanced Research Center, and that share could grow by 2030. Texas also offers long tax breaks that can exempt qualifying data centers from state taxes on equipment and electricity for up to 20 years.

What to watch

With midterm elections nearing, both Republicans and Democrats are adjusting their messages. Governor Greg Abbott has called for audits and temporary permit pauses, but opponents say projects can still move forward and some facilities may avoid scrutiny by generating power on-site. Watch whether Texas changes its tax breaks, tightens rules on water and electricity use, or gives towns more power to block projects.

Source: The Verge AI