Texas was the new epicenter of the AI data center buildout. That might be kaput.

Democrats won Texas' US Senate and governor races and took control of the state House for the first time in 24 years, with data centers a central campaign issue; governor-elect Gina Hinojosa pushed for a full moratorium after previously supporting tax breaks for data centers in 2023. The article notes massive projects underway, including the 1,820-megawatt Stargate Frontier in Shackelford County and the 6,400-megawatt Nexus Hubbard intended mostly to serve Anthropic, and that Governor Abbott directed a key state regulator on September 21 to halt data center permits. It adds that no single state office decides project outcomes, so local officials and construction unions may complicate follow-through on a moratorium.