Watchdog group criticizes TCEQ for advancing data center permits
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said it paused permits tied to data center construction and infrastructure after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a temporary halt while state officials review proposed water and power use. Public Citizen and residents disputed the agency’s compliance, citing more than a dozen data center-related plans, including six stormwater permits, that continued advancing.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality told Gov. Greg Abbott that it had paused permits directly supporting data center construction or infrastructure. Abbott had directed the agency to stop issuing data center-related permits while state agencies and the electric grid operator reviewed projected water and electricity demands.
Public Citizen said permitting had continued despite the directive. The group identified more than a dozen data center-related plans moving through the TCEQ process, including at least six stormwater construction permits approved after Abbott’s order. Kathryn Guerra, Public Citizen’s TCEQ watchdog campaign director, said the ongoing approvals undermined affected communities’ expectations of a permitting freeze, while the agency maintained that it was complying with the governor’s instructions.