Texas Governor Greg Abbott rolls out insurance cuts and data‑center energy reforms

Governor Greg Abbott toured Texas to promote the latest phase of his affordability agenda, proposing a $400 million roof‑fortification program that would offer up to $10,000 per homeowner to reinforce roofs against hurricanes and hail. He said fortified roofs could lower home‑insurance premiums by as much as 8 %, saving homeowners thousands over the life of the roof. Abbott also called for a change to state law so that auto insurers can reward safe drivers with lower rates, potentially cutting premiums by up to 30 % for drivers with clean records.

In a separate initiative, Abbott sent a letter to the Public Utility Commission of Texas directing it to ensure that the rapid expansion of data centers does not increase residential electricity costs. He ordered the commission and ERCOT to submit a memorandum by July 17 outlining steps to make data‑center operators pay for the electric infrastructure they use and to adopt water‑efficient technologies. Abbott also pledged to repeal tax incentives for data centers and to codify these measures into law, aiming to protect Texas households from higher utility bills as the state becomes a leading global data‑center market.