Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller calls for special session on data center regulations
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is advocating for Governor Greg Abbott to call a special legislative session to regulate data centers. Miller argues the current six-month moratorium is insufficient and highlights critical concerns over excessive electricity and water consumption, as well as the loss of prime agricultural land.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has publicly urged Governor Greg Abbott to convene a special legislative session to address the rapid, unchecked expansion of data centers across the state. Miller criticized the Governor's existing six-month moratorium as inadequate, stating it primarily serves political timing and delays meaningful legislative action until September 2027, which he considers too late.
Commissioner Miller detailed several pressing concerns, including the immense strain data centers place on Texas's electricity grid, referencing a near-rolling blackout in 2023 and the potential for new connections to exceed the state's capacity five-fold. He also highlighted the significant water usage by these facilities and their conversion of valuable farmland into industrial sites. Miller openly questioned Governor Abbott's commitment to slowing expansion, suggesting the Governor's actions, including taking campaign contributions and directing utility commissions to fast-track data center connections, favor developers and investors.
Miller argued that Texas has already secured a lead in the AI race, implying there's no need for further rapid data center construction, especially given infrastructure limitations. He called for either a full one-year moratorium or an immediate 30-day special session to establish guidelines and regulations to prevent what he termed a "train wreck."
In response to Commissioner Miller's call, Governor Abbott's press secretary issued a statement asserting that data centers must not come before Texas families. The Governor's office stated that Abbott has directed the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and ERCOT to mandate that data centers pay for their own infrastructure, provide their own power, reuse their own water, and contribute to lowering residential electric bills, emphasizing these steps are intended to protect Texans from negative impacts and higher costs.