County asks Abbott to address data center worries
The El Paso County Commissioners Court approved sending a letter and resolution to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, expressing concerns about the rapid growth of data centers. They are requesting the same protections extended to communities on the state's main power grid, as the Governor's recent directive regarding data center audits and connection pauses for ERCOT may not apply to El Paso County.
The El Paso County Commissioners Court has formally requested Texas Governor Greg Abbott extend data center protections to their region, citing growing concerns over the rapid expansion of data centers across the state. On Monday, August 17, commissioners approved sending a letter and a formal resolution to Governor Abbott.
The county is seeking the same protections currently being extended to communities situated on Texas's main power grid, managed by ERCOT. During a recent visit to El Paso, Governor Abbott discussed a directive requiring ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission to audit data centers seeking grid connection and to temporarily halt new connections until the review is complete.
However, El Paso County is not part of ERCOT, instead being served by the Western Electric Coordinating Council. County officials are concerned that the Governor's directive may therefore not apply to their region, leaving them vulnerable to unchecked data center growth without the proposed safeguards.