Texas Environmental Agency Halts Permit Filing System Amid Data Center Dispute
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality temporarily shut down its automated permit-filing system after a watchdog group reported that the agency continued issuing stormwater permits for data center construction despite a permitting pause. The dispute has prompted calls for a legislatively backed moratorium on data center permitting in Texas.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality temporarily disabled its automated online filing system after FracTracker Alliance reported that the agency was continuing to issue stormwater permits for data center construction despite a permitting pause ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration.
FracTracker Alliance communications manager Sam Law argued that the episode demonstrates the need for a formal moratorium backed by legislation. The newsletter presents the dispute as part of a broader collection of Texas energy and environmental policy developments rather than as coverage of a single data center project.