Abbott seeks new limits on Texas data centers
Abbott wants regulators to make data centers pay infrastructure costs and curb water use, while state officials cite 439 gigawatts of requested grid capacity.
- On Wednesday, Governor Greg Abbott directed the Public Utility Commission and Electric Reliability Council of Texas to force data centers to pay for their own infrastructure, protecting residential electric bills from industry expansion.
- Driven by reports of data centers straining resources, the state has seen rising opposition from residents across Texas. ERCOT reported 439 gigawatts of power capacity requests, five times the all-time peak demand.
- Mandates include reducing residential transmission costs by July 31, while Abbott plans future legislation repealing outdated tax incentives for these facilities.
- The Data Center Coalition stated it "looks forward to working with the governor and state regulators," noting member companies already deploy advanced cooling technologies and consult with local communities.
- Lawmakers will study data center water usage during a June 23 hearing as Abbott prepares to codify these regulatory actions during the 2027 legislative session.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Abbott orders Texas regulators to keep AI data center costs off residents' power bills
Gov. Greg Abbott is pressing Texas energy regulators to ensure the state's rapid buildout of AI data centers does not leave residents paying for the power infrastructure those projects require. His latest directive tells state energy agencies to move quickly on consumer protections so the expansion of data center development does not drive up household electric bills. What's happening? Abbott told the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the E…
Texas Is the Eye of the Bipartisan Data Center Hurricane
1. Matagorda County, Texas – The bipartisan data center backlash is now so powerful that a top Republican Texas state official is doing an event with the Democrat vying to replace him.On Thursday afternoon, outgoing Republican agriculture commissioner Sid Miller and Democratic candidate Clayton Tucker are marqueeing a forum hosted by Matagorda County Against Data Centers, an opposition group that appears to also monitor solar and battery storage…
Data Centers Invade - Texas Edition
Data centers are “massive warehouses filled with computers to power artificial intelligence for companies such as Amazon, Meta, and Google.” Smaller data centers were built to run the Internet, but cloud computing and AI require much more room and significantly more electricity. Texas Data Centers The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) reports receiving dozens […] The post Data Centers Invade – Texas Edition appeared first on Guardian…
Abbott seeks new limits on Texas data centers
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is taking steps to implement new restrictions on data centers in the state, including proposals to set water-efficient technology requirements and repeal tax incentives. The Republican governor directed the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) on Wednesday to “take immediate steps” to safeguard…
Texas Gov. Abbott Blocks Data Centers From Raising Residential Electricity Bills
Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas utility regulators and the state’s grid operator to take steps to prevent residential electricity customers from absorbing the infrastructure costs tied to data center growth. In a letter to the Public Utility Commission of Texas Chairman Thomas Gleeson and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas CEO Pablo Vegas, Abbott laid out a series of directives intended to shield households and small businesses, according …
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