Hinojosa calls for special session on data centers during El Paso stop

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa called for an emergency legislative session focused on data centers during a Monday campaign stop in El Paso, escalating the debate over the facilities' impact on water and electricity supplies.

Hinojosa, a 52-year-old civil rights attorney and state representative, held a news conference Downtown with data center opponents. "This is the fight of 2026 to decide, again, is Texas going to be a state that is by and for the people, or is this the millionaire's world?" she said, according to El Paso Matters.

The candidate is challenging Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, 68, who is seeking a fourth term. Abbott and Hinojosa have offered competing responses to public concerns about data centers statewide, particularly regarding water and electricity consumption, noise, and public subsidies. Abbott issued directives last month to state officials to closely review data center projects and announced agreements with Meta and other technology companies to pay for electric infrastructure, conserve water, and avoid shifting utility costs to residents.

Hinojosa criticized Abbott's approach as insufficient. She said she would void any contract that limits water availability to residents, though she did not specify how that would apply to existing agreements or whether any current El Paso arrangement would trigger such action.

"As governor, I would make null and void any contract that denies Texas residents the water that they need to live," Hinojosa said.

El Paso Water executives have said the utility can meet Meta's expected demand without affecting existing customers. The utility estimates Meta will use 400,000 to 500,000 gallons per day on average, though the water supply agreement authorizes a maximum of 2.5 million gallons daily. El Paso Water pumped an average 108 million gallons to customers daily during its last fiscal year, with peak demand reaching 155 million gallons on June 18 last year.

Abbott's directives referenced ERCOT, the power grid operator covering most of Texas. However, El Paso Electric operates outside ERCOT, so Abbott's announcement appeared to have no effect on Meta's data center under construction in Northeast El Paso or the hundreds of millions in city and county tax incentives approved for the project in 2023.

Hinojosa would take office after the Texas Legislature begins its regular session on Jan. 12, 2027, if elected. Only Abbott has authority to call a special session before then. Monday marked Hinojosa's second El Paso campaign stop since announcing her candidacy in January; she also visited the University of Texas at El Paso and participated in a town hall event.