President Trump criticizes Gov. Abbott’s directive pausing approval of new data centers in Texas
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a directive pausing new data center approvals in the state, citing concerns over power and water usage. This move was criticized by former President Donald Trump, while several data center companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, and QTS expressed compliance with the state's standards.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has received compliance from several data center companies, including Meta, regarding new industry standards and guidelines. This development follows criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently spoke against Governor Abbott's directive to pause industry-wide approvals for new data centers in Texas.
The directive, issued last week, mandates a temporary halt on approvals until companies provide detailed information on their power and water usage to the state. In an interview with Punch Bowl News, President Trump argued that the pause is a "mistake" for Texas, emphasizing the significant economic benefits data centers can bring, potentially surpassing those of the oil industry.
Governor Abbott, however, justifies the pause by stating that data center companies have failed to respond to state surveys on their resource consumption. He also noted that ERCOT is reviewing requests that collectively exceed five times Texas's record peak electricity demand. Despite the criticism, companies such as Google, Amazon, and QTS have publicly supported the governor's review process.
This stance by Governor Abbott marks a notable deviation from his usual pro-business approach and highlights a growing public backlash against the rapid expansion of data centers across the state. While he previously championed Texas as an AI development epicenter, his current directive comes as he prepares for re-election against Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa.