She already had a utility. Then she met someone taller, colder, and thirstier. A Hill Country romance about the one who drinks more than the town.
Texas data centers already drink 25 billion gallons a year. She calls it a stronger future.
"Texas data centers aren't just about tech they're about building a stronger future!"
Every Hallmark heroine gets a letter she reads by the window. This is hers. Six promises, one flexed-bicep emoji, three hashtags. Here they are, one at a time.
"New water infrastructure and desalination plants funded by developers"
Her evidence, told to the Herald-Zeitung: one developer, according to Sen. Perry, agreed to build a brackish desalination plant. One. Meanwhile, only 17% of the 341 data centers operating in Texas answered the state's water-use survey. On Sept 24, 2026, the attorney general opened an investigation into hundreds of them.
He promised to build her a well. He won't tell her how much he drinks.
"Thousands of good-paying construction and skilled jobs"
The counterpoint: most of those jobs last as long as construction does. Data centers are built to run largely on their own, with few people on site once they open.
A whirlwind romance. The crew leaves after the wedding.
"Expanded tax bases that ease the property tax burden on families"
Since 2013, Texas has given qualifying data centers a 6.25% sales tax exemption for 10 or 15 years. The fiscal note projected about $20 million in lost revenue back then; critics say the cost has ballooned to $2 billion this year.
He says he'll pay for dinner. He has a coupon. For fifteen years.
"Powering America's AI leadership to stay ahead of our global adversaries"
To the Herald-Zeitung she called it "a national security imperative" and said we must keep pace with China on compute. Then, in the same interview: "I don't even believe that we have to have them in Texas."
He's essential to the nation. Just not to her zip code.
"Done right with proper vetting and community input"
Hays County gave its input. Hundreds packed San Marcos City Hall; the council voted 5–2 to sink a $1.5 billion project, then banned new data centers citywide. Hays commissioners voted unanimously to pause approvals for water-hungry developments through Dec 31, 2026. In September she skipped the Wimberley water forum.
The whole town objected at the wedding. She didn't RSVP.
"Let's plan ahead like previous generations did for our water systems!"
The Houston Advanced Research Center found the State Water Plan "does not include projected demand growth for data centers." Its lead author calls it "a structural blind spot." The previous generation's plan didn't have him in it. Neither does this one.
Planning ahead, Hallmark style: don't look at the numbers until the finale.
He drinks enough to fill AT&T Stadium 200 times a year.
That's the high-end 2030 projection from the Houston Advanced Research Center. Jacob's Well, for scale, is a hole in the creek.
"We can't afford to fall behind."
She'd rather they not come to the Hill Country.
They're critical infrastructure, "similar to oil and gas."
"I don't even believe that we have to have them in Texas."
"The main issue with our water needs is money."
Parameters. Maybe. Next session.
In part one she fought to keep the local district from overseeing Aqua's pumping. In part two she's posting about the thirstiest industry in the state. At home, the family business is oil, gas and "Liberate America's Energy." Somewhere in the middle is an aquifer nobody has metered.
Catch up on part oneWritten by us. Nobody said these words. The servers hum in B-flat.
CARRIE (shivering)
It's so cold in here.
DATA CENTER
I run hot. Water helps.
CARRIE
How much water?
DATA CENTER (a long pause, fans spinning)
I didn't fill out the survey.
CARRIE (reaching for her phone)
That's okay. I'll post that you're building a stronger future.
Outside, a sprinkler in Woodcreek stays off. Stage 4.
San Marcos council votes 5–2 against a $1.5B data center after hundreds of residents turn out.
Hays County votes unanimously to pause approvals for data centers and other water-intensive projects through Dec 31.
San Marcos bans new data centers citywide. Comal County asks the state for guidance on the impacts.
Gov. Abbott calls for a moratorium until the PUC and ERCOT audit every data center in the grid queue.
Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, a Republican, calls for a pause: "no guidelines, no parameters."
Abbott orders enforcement of water-use reporting: "Data centers must share the duty to protect Texas water."
Wimberley candidate forum on water. She doesn't attend.
AG Paxton investigates hundreds of data centers over missing water reports. Even Paxton.
Before you swipe right on the data center, ask how much he drinks.
House District 73 votes November 3, 2026. The 2027 session will decide whether those "parameters" ever become a bill.
