Talarico vs. Paxton / Issues / Data centers
Where do Talarico and Paxton stand on data centers?
Short answer
Both James Talarico and Ken Paxton now want to repeal the Texas sales-tax break for data centers and make the companies pay for their own power infrastructure. Talarico also wants local communities to decide whether a data center gets built. Paxton voted for the same tax break as a state senator in 2013.
Side by side
Talarico
Paxton
Sales-tax break
Repeal it.
Repeal it, after voting for it as a state senator in 2013.
Grid costs
Data centers pay for their own infrastructure so the grid keeps up.
Backs Gov. Abbott's plan for data centers to fund their own electricity infrastructure.
Local control
Communities and local governments decide whether a data center is built.
Has not moved on local say as attorney general.
Other
—
Ban Chinese technology from U.S. data centers; hold companies liable when AI chatbots they power harm children; co-sponsor the DATA Act, which exempts off-grid power for big users from most federal electricity rules.
Side-by-side drawn from the sources listed below.
Key facts
- Texas has nearly 400 data centers operating, planned or under construction, using about 17 terawatt-hours a year, enough to power 1.6 million homes. Capital & Main / Texas Tribune
- More than half of Texans oppose building a data center in their community. Texas Politics Project
- The 2015 securities fraud charge against Paxton involved urging investors to buy stock in Servergy, a data center tech startup, without disclosing he would be paid. The case was resolved with a 2024 deal. Texas Tribune