Texas Attorney General and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton outlined what he called a conditional “Texas first” approach to data center development in an attempt to quell opposition from residents concerned about losing their water, particularly in rural areas, and spikes in utility rates.
Speaking to an audience of small business owners and community leaders at the “In Dialogue: Texas” event hosted by the United States Hispanic Business Council (USHBC) in Fort Worth on Saturday, Paxton said he sees data centers as essential rather than optional. “This is not an extreme yes-no. This is a yes with conditions,” he told USHBC President and CEO Javier Palomarez.