Texas county passes one-year data center ban for rural areas as AI data centers move to remote areas to skirt regulations; state senator says counties cannot legally impose such bans

Hill County commissioners voted 3-2 to impose a one-year moratorium on data center projects on rural land near Hillsboro.

Officials want time to study potential impacts, including utility costs, noise, and infrastructure strain.

The move comes after a proposed Provident Data Centers campus and growing concern over developers using unincorporated county land to avoid city rules.

State officials and county lawyers say the ban could face legal challenges, and critics argue counties may lack authority to block such projects.