State Representative Hillary Hickland (R-District 55) said in a formal statement on social media that Texas’ rapid data center expansion must not come at the expense of natural resources or grid stability.
Hickland, a ninth-generation Texan, said that while data centers are often linked to national security, their development must be balanced against the immediate needs of Texas residents.
Her statement is the latest in a growing tension between large-scale technology investment and infrastructure and the protection of local resources and communities.
Hickland identified areas of concern including the strain on the Texas energy grid, the consumption of water resources, and the impact on “generational land”.
State leadership, including Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker Dustin Burrows, has already acknowledged these issues, signaling that data center regulation will be a priority for the upcoming 90th Legislative Session.
Hickland noted that both the Texas House and Senate have already issued interim charges specifically designed to study the long-term effects of data center developments on communities and infrastructure.
Committees have begun holding public hearings to examine how these high-load facilities impact local resources.
“My priority will always be the people of Bell County… not corporate interests,” Hickland said.
This legislative focus follows a surge in data center applications and reporting that some experts warn could outpace the state’s current power generation capacity.
The tension between industrial growth and grid reliability was a central theme in recent Public Utility Commission discussions, where lawmakers expressed concern that transmission projects supporting high-load customers often lack a corresponding increase in dispatchable power generation.
“Texas is an inheritance, not a commodity,” Hickland said. “I am deeply committed to the legacy we pass on to the next generation”.