Greg Abbott paused data-center grid approvals and called for ending the industry’s major tax break. He cast himself as the protector of Texas communities from an industry straining the grid and raising concerns about water consumption across the state.
Then the Texas Tribune ran the numbers: approximately $9 million in data-center-related contributions to Abbott since July 2025, roughly 13% of everything he raised during that period.
The 2027 Texas legislative session is expected to address how data centers connect to the grid, how much water they consume, and who absorbs their infrastructure costs. The donors funding the campaigns of those writing those rules deserve a close look.
The Tribune split Abbott‘s total into two categories: $4.9 million from donors with direct ties to data-center development, ownership, or operations, and $4.1 million from adjacent players including AI companies, investors, and equipment suppliers.
