WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Waco's state lawmaker weighs-in on Texas AG Commissioner's incentive plan to balance the growing demand for data centers and the need to protect farm land and safeguard our nation's food supply.
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Texas AG Commissioner Sid Miller is calling on state and federal lawmakers to help move his plan forward which looks to protect farmland and support the growth of data centers in Texas through incentives for data centers to build away from useful farm land.
State Representative for District 56 Pat Curry told 25 News' Bobby Poitevint when it comes to bigger incentives that would be needed for data centers to build in more rural counties, it’s more of a federal issue to take up and not so much for the state or counties to get involved in.
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He said, “I will say this. I think that Commissioner Miller has a good idea to start the conversation, but understanding the state law and constitutional as to how it works, I think it would be a little more difficult from a state or county standpoint point.”
"i think there's plenty of areas where data centers are a good fit. I think there are areas where they may not be a good fit or likely won't be a good fit. Would I want a data center in my neighborhood, probably not — would I like to have a 10-billion-dollar tax base in my backyard or in my area to gain taxable base revenue for my local communities, absolutely" Curry said. He added, "it just depends on the use of the resources, and again all of those deals are typically vetted to the point of 'is this a good deal for everybody involved or is it not."
Representative Curry isn’t ruling out the possibility of a state lawmaker proposing efforts to help Commissioner Miller’s plan in the 2027 legislative session, but said when you’re talking incentive programs there are other timely moving parts to make it happen.
Specifically, he's referring to an appropriations request. which is a formal proposal outlining an entity's funding request from the state. Curry said those requests are usually done in the Summer before the next legislative session with some having already begun, but he's not familiar of one being submitted relating to Miller's plan.
So does he rule out state involvement? No, but believes it’s more of a federal government matter.
He added, for those looking at Commissioner's Millers plan as a saving grace to stop data center efforts we’re seeing right now in McLennan County, Representative Curry said likely not any time soon.
“In my opinion not in the near future no. When I say the near future not in the next several years.”
