Katie has real concerns about the rapid expansion of data centers in Texas without accountability or safeguards for residents. She supports technology and innovation, and says that progress can't come through rising energy costs and strained water reserves for the people who live near these facilities. Her approach starts with two principles: local control and public health.

Yes. Katie believes communities should have a say on new data centers in the same way residents vote on local tax increases. At a candidate forum on October 9, 2026, reported by the Fort Worth Report, candidates for Tarrant County Texas House seats agreed that the Legislature should set statewide regulations while letting local governments keep some control.

Katie says the company that benefits economically should bear the costs. For both new and existing data centers, that includes:

• funding its own water and power supply

• paying for independent pollution monitoring

• covering any changes in nearby property values

She has also said she would require AI data centers to pay for their own electricity and water instead of passing those costs on to families.

Katie has said that proposed data centers and other large facilities waiting to connect to the Texas grid would demand more electricity than the whole state uses at its peak today, several times over, putting strain on a system that is already stretched thin. Her plan to protect households includes:

• putting the community's water and energy needs ahead of data centers during shortages or grid stress

• continued investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy

• an all-of-the-above energy approach that prioritizes speed, affordability, and reliability, including wind, solar, geothermal, and battery storage

• expanding energy savings and demand response programs to strengthen grid stability

Katie wants data center operators to be responsible for any change in local property values they cause. At the October 9 forum, she and her opponent both supported regulations that protect resource supplies and keep data centers away from homes.

Katie and her opponent agreed at the October 9 forum that data centers are unlikely to move into House District 94, which has very little undeveloped land. The issue still matters to District 94 voters: data center demand on the state's power grid and water supply affects electricity costs for every Texas household, and rules passed in Austin will apply statewide.

Katie has worked in technology for over 15 years, leading global teams at the intersection of technology and life sciences. Technology policy is one of the areas she says she is most passionate about, and she believes her background would be valuable in a legislature facing rapid technological change.