Greg Abbott Took $9M from Data-Center Donors. Now He Regulates Them

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is presenting himself as a check on data centers, calling for them to cover their infrastructure costs, protect the power grid, secure their own water, and respect local communities. Yet campaign-finance figures show he received about $9 million from donors linked to the industry since July 2025 - roughly 13% of his fundraising in that period. About $4.9 million came from donors directly involved in developing, owning, or operating data centers; another $4.1 million came from related AI companies, investors, and suppliers. Major contributors included Joe Gebbia ($1.5 million), Rhett Bennett and Black Mountain ($1 million combined), Elon Musk ($500,000), and Harlan Crow ($250,000). Donations peaked around key regulatory moves: $1.5 million arrived in June 2026, when Abbott issued recommendations, and $2.8 million followed his August pause on grid approvals.

Other Texas officials who will influence or oversee policy also received industry-linked money: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick took more than $1.6 million, House Speaker Dustin Burrows at least $377,500, and Comptroller Don Huffines roughly $1 million, much of it from a tax firm serving data-center developers. The 2027 legislative session is expected to decide how data centers pay for grid capacity, how much water they may use, and whether their sales-tax break continues. Abbott’s campaign says contributions do not undermine his standards, and the figures do not prove that donations caused particular decisions. They do, however, raise concerns about whether donors with financial interests can shape the rules and gain access while public costs and community impacts remain at stake.