Hinojosa’s Texas win puts data-center moratorium in focus

Gina Hinojosa defeated Greg Abbott in the Texas gubernatorial election and is set to take office in January 2027, with a proposed moratorium on new data-center approvals among the policies she has pledged to pursue. Her campaign has tied a pause to state protections for communities affected by the facilities, including safeguards for electricity and water customers and a greater role for local residents in decisions about projects. Hinojosa has called for an immediate halt to new approvals until the Texas Legislature establishes those protections. She has said communities should be able to decide whether and how data centers are built near them. The moratorium remains a campaign proposal, not an enacted policy; the scope and legal mechanism for any action after she takes office have not been announced. The incoming governor’s proposal follows steps by Abbott’s administration to restrict some approvals. In September, Abbott directed the state environmental regulator to stop issuing new data-center permits while agencies gathered information and reviewed projects. His administration also scrutinized proposed grid connections. The measures were not a statewide ban on all...