民主党州长候选人吉娜·伊诺霍萨将数据中心问题纳入对现任共和党州长格雷格·阿博特的挑战议题[1]。该议题在农村地区引发广泛关切，因数据中心作为能源密集型设施可能威胁当地水资源、农田和乡村生活方式[1]。
这一问题正在打破传统党派界线，在德州农村共和党阵地内部造成分裂[1]，类似争议也波及亚利桑那、俄亥俄和纽约等州的州级竞选[1]。
德克萨斯州数据中心产业快速扩张，预计到2030年将超越北弗吉尼亚成为全球最大数据中心市场[1]。阿博特去年11月曾帮助宣布谷歌向德州投资400亿美元[1]。
面对农村地区反弹，阿博特近期推出应对措施[1]。他承诺取消德州每年超过10亿美元的数据中心税收优惠，并誓言阻止数据中心在"农村德州社区"建设[1]。
伊诺霍萨则表示，如当选州长将在未充分征得居民同意或未能为社区带来良好交易的情况下拒绝批准数据中心许可证[1]。
不过，德州县政府面临制度性制约。德州县缺乏分区权，而这正是其他社区用来抵抗数据中心开发的本地规划工具[1]。
Democratic candidate Gina Inhorhosa is making data centers a centerpiece of her challenge to Republican Governor Greg Abbott, capitalizing on rural opposition to energy-intensive server warehouses that threaten water supplies, farmland, and community character [1]. The issue has transcended traditional party lines, fracturing the Republican base in rural areas and emerging as a campaign issue in gubernatorial races across Arizona, Ohio, and New York [1].
Texas is projected to surpass Northern Virginia as the world's largest data center market by 2030 [1]. Abbott himself championed the sector in November by helping announce a $40 billion Google investment in the state [1]. However, he has since shifted course, pledging to eliminate over $1 billion in annual tax incentives for data centers and block their construction in "rural Texas communities" [1].
Inhorhosa has adopted a more restrictive stance, stating she would block data center permits as governor unless residents have a voice in the decision or the deal benefits the community [1]. A structural disadvantage complicates local resistance: unlike other communities that can use zoning authority to fight data centers, Texas counties lack zoning power [1].