James Talarico
Democratic · TX Senate MIXED RECORDOutside AI PAC Money: $0
Position on Hyperscale Data Centers
Talarico opposes state tax handouts and subsidies for data centers that inflate utility bills for working families, proposing local community approval power and an AI dividend so citizens benefit directly from tech growth.
Verified Quotes & Evidence
"We need an AI dividend so every American citizen owns a share in this technology, and local communities must have full authority over data centers that impact their power and water costs."
Date: 2026-10-13
→ Source: Texas Tribune
"Data centers are jacking up utility bills across the state of Texas"
Date: 2026-07-22
→ Source: Texas Tribune
"I was actually up in Abilene meeting with residents, Democrats and Republicans alike, because they are building three giant data centers... We got to force them to pay for their own energy instead of jacking up our utility bills... We've got to force them to recycle their water so they are not exacerbating the water crisis here in Texas, and force them to get the consent of the people who live in these communities before they start building."
Date: 2026-09-25
→ Source: Newsweek