TCEQ closes online permitting system, after watchdogs accuse agency of violating data center pause
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shut down its online permitting system after watchdog groups accused it of approving stormwater permits tied to data center construction despite Gov. Greg Abbott's pause on data center permits. TCEQ said it suspended data center-related stormwater and wastewater permits and will manually review applications, while the governor's office denied that prohibited permits had been approved.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality suspended its online permit application system and at least 17 stormwater and wastewater permits associated with data center projects after Public Citizen and FracTracker challenged the agency's handling of Gov. Greg Abbott's directive pausing data center permit approvals. The watchdog groups said TCEQ had approved construction stormwater notices of intent, which are required for projects disturbing at least one acre of land.
TCEQ spokesperson Victoria Cann said the permits were automated authorizations and did not allow data centers to operate, but acknowledged that all data center-related notices of intent had been suspended and applications would now receive staff review. Abbott press secretary Andrew Mahaleris said TCEQ and other state agencies had complied with the governor's directive, while Public Citizen's Kathryn Guerra and FracTracker's Sam Law disputed that account and called for a broader moratorium and tighter oversight.