CoreWeave Asks Texas Governor-Elect for Data Center Cooperation

(Bloomberg) -- CoreWeave Inc. sent a letter to Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa seeking to work with her incoming administration on present and future data center projects in the state.

"You have made clear that data center growth must work for Texas," CoreWeave co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Michael Intrator said the statement. "We strongly support those principles."

"We welcome the opportunity to work with your transition team on the responsible completion of permitted projects and on clear, durable standards for future development," he said.

Artificial intelligence companies are navigating a shifting political landscape that is increasingly hostile toward data center development. Democrats prevailed in the US midterm elections in part due to their pledge to impose greater restrictions on the AI infrastructure buildout.

Hinojosa, the first Democrat since 1990 to win an election for Texas governor, pledged during her campaign to implement a statewide data center moratorium and has since outlined plans to "balance" Texas' reputation as a business-friendly state with plans for stiffer regulations.

"We have always been a pro-business state in Texas, but what changes now with me as governor is it has to be a partnership that benefits Texans," Hinojosa told CNN on Thursday.

Following last week's midterm elections, Democrats now control 29 governors' mansions nationwide, with many calling for statewide moratoriums on data center construction in response to voter frustration.