Texas Governor Halts Data Center Grid Approvals Amid Power Demand Surge

Austin, TX — Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has announced a moratorium on all data center approvals through the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) until the agencies complete an audit of data center applicants seeking to connect to the state's electric grid.

According to The Texas Tribune, the governor is requiring data center applicants to provide the following information:

• Tax break details
• Power use and generation data
• Water use and cooling operations
• Community impact reduction measures
• Facility ownership information

Applicants that have not submitted these details will be denied connection to the grid.

Governor's Statement

"Our top priority is to protect Texans' safety and quality of life," Gov. Abbott wrote in his statement. "Any project that fails to comply with the requirements set forth by the PUCT and ERCOT, and by state law, must be denied connection to the Texas grid. Simply put, Texans must come first."

Background of the Review

The review stems from multiple data centers failing to comply with a PUCT survey on water and power usage. The agency reports that it requested information from 377 data center companies, but only 28 have responded so far.

Impact on Data Center Projects

While not a statewide moratorium, the directive affects numerous data center projects undergoing ERCOT approval. Key figures include:

• 1,800+ projects awaiting grid connection approval
• 90% of those projects are data centers
• 474 gigawatts of combined demand expected from these applications
• That figure is five times ERCOT's current peak demand and far exceeds projected data center demand by 2035

Exceptions to the Moratorium

The pause does not affect all projects. For example:

• El Paso, Texas, falls outside ERCOT's jurisdiction, allowing data center developments there to continue unimpeded.
• Projects generating their own power are unaffected, as they do not need to connect to the ERCOT grid.

Reactions

Critics Say Measure Falls Short

Data center opponents argue the directive is insufficient, though some acknowledge it as a step in the right direction. They call for state legislation to regulate the industry, which is already the second largest in the U.S. after Virginia.

"Without legislative action, this directive is all hat and no cattle — empty political rhetoric wrapped in meaningless fluff," wrote Commissioner Sid Miller on the Texas Department of Agriculture's official Facebook page. "Texans need laws with teeth, not another press release designed to make it look like something is being done while hyperscale projects continue moving forward."

Political Opposition

State Representative Gina Hinojosa, Abbott's opponent in the November 2026 gubernatorial race, offered sharper criticism:

"So nice to see another strongly worded letter from Abbott after he proudly made Texas the wild west of data centers. Abbott's call for a 'pause' could be for one day – and no one buys it," she wrote in a statement. "He's taken millions from data center CEOs while giving Texans lip service to non-existent restrictions."

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