--- title: "US governors tighten rules on data centres as elections near" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/us-governors-tighten-rules-on-data-centres-as-elections-near" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-governors-tighten-rules-on-data-centres-as-elections-near" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/us-governors-tighten-rules-on-data-centres-as-elections-near.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-governors-tighten-rules-on-data-centres-as-elections-near" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-18T18:25:28.663Z" source_reported: "2026-08-18T17:27:25.000Z" updated: "2026-08-18T18:25:28.663Z" trust_score: 65 critic_score: 75 hype_score: 35 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-18T18:15:21.564404+00:00" --- # US governors tighten rules on data centres as elections near *Pennsylvania and Texas set new standards for permits and tax breaks amid public backlash* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 65 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports corroborate the central claims; seven digests repeat them. - Craft 75 of 100, higher is better. Full reports quote officials and affected parties; digests lack depth. - Hype 35 of 100, lower is better. Headline uses 'toxic politics' but body is measured. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro will deny permits and tax exemptions to data centres that do not pay full electricity costs, limit water use, and conduct local outreach. - Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed regulators to block data centre projects that could raise electricity bills and promised legislation to remove a billion-dollar-plus annual tax break. - Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa released a TV ad accusing Abbott of favouring data centre executives, targeting rural discontent over water and land use. - No right-rated outlet in the sample below reported on either governor’s announcement. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced on 17 August 2026 that data centre projects would no longer receive priority permits or tax exemptions unless they met new standards. The rules require developers to pay the full cost of their electricity, limit water use, and conduct local outreach. Shapiro, a Democrat, said the state was facing an “unacceptable number of speculative proposals” from developers who disregarded communities. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott ordered regulators to prevent data centres from increasing electricity bills for residents. He also pledged to push legislation in 2027 to remove a tax break worth over a billion dollars annually. Abbott’s Democratic challenger, Gina Hinojosa, released a television ad the same day accusing him of “selling you out” to data centre executives, citing concerns over rural land and water use. Both governors had previously supported data centre development. Shapiro and Abbott had actively recruited the facilities, but public opposition has grown over their energy and water consumption, noise, and impact on rural landscapes. Similar shifts have occurred in other states: Arizona imposed a three-year moratorium on data centre tax exemptions, New York banned large data centres for a year, and Illinois halted new tax exemptions until stricter standards are set. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet in the sample below reported on either governor’s announcement. The omission covers Shapiro’s permit and tax exemption rules, Abbott’s regulatory order, and the billion-dollar annual tax break he pledged to remove. ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 56% (5) - Centre: 44% (4) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-18T18:15:21.564404+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 3 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-18T19:00:55.184Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The five left-rated digests and the Associated Press report led on Shapiro’s new standards and the broader political backlash against data centres. The AP report, carried in full by the Seattle Times, the Toronto Star, and the Bangor Daily News, quoted Shapiro’s statement that Pennsylvania was being “swamped” by speculative proposals from developers who “have no regard for local communities”. It also detailed Hinojosa’s TV ad accusing Abbott of favouring data centre executives. - The AP report included the billion-dollar annual tax break Abbott promised to remove and noted that data centres use more energy than small cities. It also mentioned opposition in Wisconsin, where Republican candidate Tom Tiffany attacked his Democratic opponent as “Data Center David Crowley”. The Independent’s digest, the shortest of the left-rated reports, still carried Shapiro’s permit and tax exemption changes. ### Centre - The four centre-rated digests and WPLG’s full AP report led on the governors’ policy shifts but gave equal weight to Abbott’s regulatory order and Shapiro’s permit rules. WPLG’s report, identical to the AP’s, included Abbott’s pledge to remove the billion-dollar tax break and his directive to regulators to prevent higher electricity bills. The digests from WKMG, WCBD, and the Star Beacon all mentioned the governors’ past support for data centres and the growing public opposition. - None of the centre-rated digests or WPLG’s report omitted the billion-dollar tax break or the electricity cost requirement. The Star Beacon’s digest, the longest of the centre-rated digests, included the detail that data centres “use more energy than small cities”. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 4 - veryHigh: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/business/governors-races-are-being-increasingly-buffeted-by-the-toxic-politics-of-data-centers) — Governors’ races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/governors-races-are-being-increasingly-buffeted-by-the-toxic-politics-of-data-centers/article_17cea61c-4e69-5608-8103-8ff64f77f8d0.html) — Governors’ races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/ai-data-centers-governors-pennsylvania-texas-shapiro-abbott-f96176c2bcb76cbe8e823ed79fbdf196) — Governors' races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers - [WPLG](https://local10.com/news/national/2026/08/18/governors-races-are-being-increasingly-buffeted-by-the-toxic-politics-of-data-centers) — Governors' races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/politics/2026/08/18/governors-races-are-being-increasingly-buffeted-by-the-toxic-politics-of-data-centers) — Governors' races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers - [Bangor Daily News](https://bangordailynews.com/2026/08/18/nation/governors-races-are-being-increasingly-buffeted-by-the-toxic-politics-of-data-centers) — Governors' races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/josh-shapiro-harrisburg-greg-abbott-jb-pritzker-white-house-b3035144.html) — Governors' races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers - [WCBD](https://counton2.com/news/national-news/ap-governors-races-are-being-increasingly-buffeted-by-the-toxic-politics-of-data-centers) — Governors' races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers - [Star Beacon](https://starbeacon.com/region/governors-races-are-being-increasingly-buffeted-by-the-toxic-politics-of-data-centers/article_76878602-5c4e-518b-88b3-793dcf66ff2c.html) — Governors' races are being increasingly buffeted by the toxic politics of data centers ## Questions **What new rules did Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announce for data centres?** Shapiro announced that data centres would no longer receive priority permits or tax exemptions unless they pay the full cost of their electricity, limit water use, and conduct local outreach. The rules aim to address public opposition to speculative proposals that disregard communities, as stated by Shapiro on 17 August 2026. **What did Texas Governor Greg Abbott order regarding data centres?** Abbott ordered regulators to prevent data centres from increasing electricity bills for residents and pledged to push legislation in 2027 to remove a tax break worth over a billion dollars annually. The move follows growing public concern over the facilities’ energy and water consumption, as reported on 17 August 2026. **Which outlets reported on the governors’ data centre announcements?** Five left-rated outlets and four centre-rated outlets reported on the announcements, all carrying the Associated Press’s account. No right-rated outlet in the sample covered the story, omitting Shapiro’s permit rules, Abbott’s regulatory order, and the billion-dollar tax break he pledged to remove. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. 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