Overview
- Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor, called on Gov. Greg Abbott to use an emergency executive order or call a special legislative session to halt new data center construction until statewide rules are passed.
- The Public Utility Commission and ERCOT recently adopted rules that require data centers to fund transmission built for them, undergo screening for grid impacts, and sharply curtail power use when ERCOT orders it.
- Abbott earlier directed regulators to block cost shifts to ratepayers and his office released an email saying developer Diode withdrew a planned Henderson County project in part because of that directive.
- Voters and local officials have pushed back over noise, water and electricity use with polls showing roughly 56% oppose local data center projects and several cities and counties imposing bans or moratoria that face legal challenges.
- More than 480 large data centers have requested ERCOT connections through 2032, a pipeline that critics say could increase strain on utilities and water supplies and make the issue a defining campaign fight before November.