Texas Governor Abbott halts all state-issued permits for data centers until grid audit is complete

FILE PHOTO: Texas Governor Greg Abbott seen on the sideline prior to a game at Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, US, September 19, 2026. Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images/File Photo

DENVER/NEW YORK, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday barred the ⁠state's environmental agency from issuing new permits for data centers until ‌regulators complete a massive audit of the energy-hungry facilities seeking to connect to the Texas electrical grid.

The Republican governor's directive to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality effectively freezes all state-issued permits to ​data center developers, which had flocked to the ⁠region for its abundant electricity, land ⁠and pro-business reputation.

Since the artificial intelligence boom began roughly three years ago, Texas ⁠has ‌become one of the fastest-growing data hubs in the world. But intensifying public backlash over the facilities, and fears about AI more broadly, prompted ⁠Abbott last month to freeze the connection of new ​data centers to the ‌state grid and order an audit of the facilities.

By the time of ⁠that directive, there ​were more than 470 gigawatts' worth of data center projects and other large energy users in line to connect to the grid — more than five times the state's peak ⁠demand.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates ​the state grid, is in the early stages of auditingdata center power use, tax incentives and water consumption, among other factors.

“Simply put, Texans must come first,” Abbott said in ⁠a statement. “Data centers must pay their own way, protect our grid and water, and complete the (audits)."

Abbott is among a swelling number of governors who once raced to attract data center investments — and touted their public benefit — but are now tightening ​restrictions on the developments to ease their constituents' fears ⁠about rising power bills and environmental issues caused by the facilities.

Ed Hirs, an energy ​fellow at the University of Houston, said Abbott ‌was walking back "his earlier pronouncements about data ​centers leading to lower electricity prices."

(Reporting by Liz Hampton in Denver and Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by David Gregorio and Aurora Ellis)

Thank you for your report!

Priority Technology to go private in $1.6 billion CEO-led deal

Feature: Smart technology strengthens rhino protection at South Africa's historic reserve

Feature: Chinese technology brings new dimensions to classroom learning in Serbia

资料照片：2026年9月19日，美国德克萨斯州大学城凯尔球场，德克萨斯州州长格雷格·阿博特在比赛前出现在场边。图片来源：Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images/资料照片

丹佛/纽约，9 月 21 日（路透社）——德克萨斯州州长格雷格·阿博特周一禁止该州环境机构向数据中心发放新的许可证，直到监管机构完成对这些寻求接入德克萨斯州电网的耗能设施的大规模审计。

这位共和党州长向德克萨斯州环境质量委员会下达的指令，实际上冻结了所有州政府颁发给数据中心开发商的许可证。这些开发商曾蜂拥至该地区，因为这里电力、土地资源丰富，而且拥有良好的营商环境。

自大约三年前人工智能热潮开始以来，德克萨斯州已成为世界上增长最快的数据中心之一。但公众对这些设施的强烈反对，以及对人工智能更广泛存在的担忧，促使阿博特州长上个月冻结了新数据中心与州电网的连接，并下令对这些设施进行审计。

到该指令发布之时，已有超过 470 吉瓦的数据中心项目和其他大型能源用户排队等待接入电网——是该州峰值需求的五倍多。

负责运营德克萨斯州电网的德克萨斯州电力可靠性委员会目前正处于审计数据中心用电量、税收优惠和用水量等因素的早期阶段。

阿博特在一份声明中表示：“简而言之，德州人民的利益必须放在首位。数据中心必须自负盈亏，保护我们的电网和水资源，并完成（审计）。”

阿博特是越来越多曾经竞相吸引数据中心投资并吹捧其公共利益的州长之一，但现在他们正在收紧对这些发展的限制，以减轻选民对不断上涨的电费和这些设施造成的环境问题的担忧。

休斯顿大学能源研究员埃德·赫尔斯表示，阿博特正在收回“他之前关于数据中心会导致电价下降的言论”。

（丹佛 Liz Hampton 和纽约 Laila Kearney 报道；David Gregorio 和 Aurora Ellis 编辑）

感谢您的报告！

Priority Technology将以16亿美元的价格私有化，该交易由首席执行官主导。

专题报道：智能技术加强南非历史悠久的犀牛保护区保护

专题报道：中国科技为塞尔维亚课堂学习带来新维度