Texas lawmakers are still trying to figure out how much water data centers actually use
Texas lawmakers and the Texas Water Development Board are trying to determine actual water usage by data centers, as current state water plans lack projections for these facilities. Governor Greg Abbott has ordered an audit of all data centers, including their water usage, and has stated that no new data centers can connect to the ERCOT power grid until this audit is complete. This has spurred bipartisan resistance and pushback against data centers across the state.
The Texas Water Development Board recently presented the state's water plan to a Texas House natural resources committee, revealing that it currently lacks projections for water usage by data centers. Houston Public Media's energy and environment reporter Natalie Weber highlighted that the state has struggled to gather this information, receiving poor response rates on surveys sent to data centers.
In response to this data gap, Governor Greg Abbott has ordered a comprehensive audit of all data centers in Texas, specifically focusing on their water usage. Matt Nelson, executive administrator for the Texas Water Development Board, indicated that the board plans to use data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to project water usage based on power grid connection requests. Furthermore, Governor Abbott has mandated a halt on new data center connections to the ERCOT power grid until the audit, expected to conclude by December, is complete.
The pushback against data centers is growing, with bipartisan resistance emerging from both rural and metropolitan areas. While Governor Abbott previously promoted Texas as an AI development hub, he has since pivoted, drawing criticism from figures like Gina Hinojosa, who argues the audit does not go far enough and calls for a special legislative session.