Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has called for a pause on data center construction.
“It is time for a temporary moratorium on new hyperscale data center development in Texas until we fully assess the long-term impacts on our infrastructure, agricultural economy, and communities,” he stated.
Miller added that while Texans “champion growth, private enterprise, and innovation,” Texans also need to have “an honest conversation about the explosive growth of hyperscale data centers.”
Miller cited usage of electricity, water, and land as primary concerns: “Many consume enough electricity to power entire towns. They draw massive volumes of water … Rural communities … now compete with corporate giants that can transform entire regions overnight.”
These concerns and questions are not hypothetical, with Miller citing a recent case in which a Georgia-based data center allegedly used 30 million gallons of water without initially paying for it.
He also referenced Hill County’s pause on rural data centers as proof of various communities imposing “restrictions or bans over noise, water use, pollution, and infrastructure overload.”
Miller ties his call for a moratorium to the broader MAGA policy as a whole. “President Trump’s ‘America First’ philosophy applies here. Economic development must benefit working Texans and strengthen our communities, not overwhelm them.”
“Texans demand balance … A temporary moratorium is not anti-progress. It is pro-Texas.”
