Abbott’s Latest Data Center Declaration Is a Faux Pause
The governor’s directive comes with Texas-sized vagueness
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest attempt to address the state’s data center crisis is so vague that it should be considered meaningless, Public Citizen said today, again calling on the governor and the Texas Legislature to approve a true moratorium.
In a press release, Abbott on Monday said he was directing the state’s grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) to deny all data center projects’ requests to connect to the grid until the agencies conduct an audit of all data centers.
Abbott’s announcement does not include a timeline for the agencies to complete the audit.
“It’s another Band-Aid,” said Adrian Shelley, the Texas director of Public Citizen. “The state has so many data centers already operating or on their way because Gov. Abbott’s approach is to roll out the welcome mat to corporate interests first and figure out how to protect the interests of working Texans later, if at all. If the governor is honest about addressing data centers, he should immediately call a special session of the Texas Legislature to demand a real moratorium. Regulating by press release just isn’t going to cut it.
“The governor’s announcement is not a real pause. Permits are still being issued. Land is still being cleared. The governor should ask residents in communities across Texas if they see the data center development next to their home being ‘paused.’”
The most glaring hole in today’s Abbott directive is that it only applies to data center projects seeking connection to the ERCOT grid. Already, communities across Texas are dealing with data center projects funded by the biggest names in the tech industry, with many of them choosing to bypass a connection to the grid in favor of building their own fossil-fuel-burning power generation.
Abbott’s audit demand would mainly focus on energy usage and water consumption. Cities and rural areas have additional concerns, including the noise the facilities generate, diminished air quality, land rights, and more.
Absent a special session, the governor’s powers are limited. The legislature’s next regular session is in five months, putting any legislation signed into law nearly a year away from having any impact.