Greg Abbott ordered a pause on data center permits. Critics say some plans still moved forward.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agencies to pause permits and grid-related approvals for data center projects while officials review their water and power demands. Public Citizen and residents say some permits, including those tied to the Nexus Data Centers project in Hill County, continued advancing, though TCEQ later said the stormwater permits had been suspended.
Gov. Greg Abbott ordered Texas agencies to pause permits connected to data center construction while the state reviews the projects' anticipated water and electricity use. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said it halted relevant stormwater and other permit activity after Public Citizen identified permits that appeared to have advanced following Abbott's directive. The Texas Water Development Board and the state's electric grid operator were also directed to gather or assess data center resource demands.
Public Citizen and residents criticized the state for what they described as inconsistent enforcement of the pause. The group cited air-quality and stormwater permitting activity involving projects including Nexus Data Centers in Hill County, where construction was reportedly continuing. TCEQ spokesman Ryan Vise and Gov. Abbott's spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said the agency had not approved data center permits and that the governor's instructions were being followed, while residents called for clearer and more enforceable policy.