Governor Abbott says Oracle will follow Texas data center rules

Governor Greg Abbott announced that Oracle has committed to complying with the statewide standards he recently established for data centers in Texas. The Governor emphasized that these "clear guardrails" are designed to protect the electric grid, conserve water resources, ensure data centers respect local communities, and prevent costs from being passed on to Texas families.

Earlier this summer, Governor Abbott directed the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to enforce these standards. The directives require data centers to demonstrate how they will protect grid stability and reliability, conserve water, respect neighborhoods, and cover their own costs. PUCT and ERCOT are tasked with examining and auditing this information before approving new data center projects.

Governor Abbott stated that any data center company failing to comply with ERCOT’s audit process will have its approval denied. He noted that since these directives were issued, data centers across the state have either committed to full compliance or announced the cessation of their projects, underscoring the protective nature of these new standards for Texas communities.