Texas Democratic Senate hopeful Representative James Talarico took a shot at his opponent on Monday, accusing Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton of using AI to illustrate a plan to address data centers if he wins in November. Data centers have become a political flashpoint heading into the midterms, with Americans across the party spectrum raising concerns about their construction and impact on local communities, including the potential drain on water and power supplies. Candidates have scrambled to take a stand against the facilities, including some Republicans, despite President Donald Trump continuing to express support for their development.
Paxton shared a data center plan on X on Monday, immediately garnering responses from a number of people accusing him of using AI to create it. Talarico's campaign responded by issuing a statement saying Paxton had failed to respond to what voters want. "Now he’s scared his ties to big data center companies will lose him the election, so he’s making a sad attempt to reverse course by releasing a plan he literally used AI to make.
Texans can’t afford a Senator who’s bought by big data center companies. Texans can’t afford Ken Paxton’s corruption.” Newsweek reached out to Paxton's campaign for comment Monday afternoon. Paxton said in his post on X that his plan put Texas first.
"My Texas First Data Center Plan will protect our grid, our communities, and our children while ensuring America beats Communist China in the AI race," he said. The plan calls for federal legislation barring the use of Chinese technology in American data center infrastructure and proposes holding data center operators criminally liable if AI systems powered by their facilities are found to endanger children's safety. The proposal also calls for an embrace of a deregulatory approach at the federal level.
Paxton says he would co-sponsor the DATA Act, legislation he argues would reduce regulatory barriers, expand power generation and help ensure that data centers do not drive up electricity costs for Texas consumers. The campaign says the measure would streamline permitting and modernize federal rules governing the fast-growing industry. At the state level, Paxton pledges to support Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott's efforts to tighten oversight of new data center projects.
Among the proposals highlighted in the plan are restricting AI-focused data centers in rural residential areas, requiring operators to adopt measures that reduce noise, light pollution and traffic impacts, and improving coordination during periods of grid stress. The plan also backs repealing certain tax exemptions and incentives for data centers while requiring facilities to pay for the electricity infrastructure they need, contribute additional generating capacity to the Texas grid and use closed-loop water cooling systems. The release comes as data centers have become an increasingly contentious issue nationwide, including in Texas, with critics raising concerns about energy demand, water consumption and the impact of large-scale projects on local communities.
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