Overview
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a temporary pause on new data‑center connections to the state grid while regulators review projects and costs.
- President Donald Trump publicly called that pause a “mistake” in a Punchbowl interview released Friday and said data centers could become an industry larger than oil.
- The White House recently expanded a voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge to roughly 200 signatories, including major tech firms, asking developers to cover grid costs while Congress considers the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act.
- Local protests, public opposition and regulatory steps have already delayed or blocked many projects, with Data Centre Watch reporting about 75 U.S. projects worth roughly $130 billion stalled or stopped.
- Critics point to rising electricity demand, heavy water use for cooling and few long‑term local jobs as reasons for moratoria and tighter rules, while supporters argue projects bring investment and fast‑track power solutions such as on‑site generation.