Texas data center permits advance despite state freeze, watchdog reports
Public Citizen says the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality continued advancing water, stormwater and air permit actions for data center-related projects despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to pause permits. Residents near Lufkin, Hubbard, Abilene and other communities say ongoing reviews and construction are making it difficult to understand whether the freeze is active or to meet public-comment deadlines.
Public Citizen’s TCEQ Watchdog Campaign reported that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality took 16 permit actions after Gov. Greg Abbott directed the agency to pause permits for data center projects while the state reviews their impacts. The actions included stormwater authorizations, a wastewater permit renewal and continued review of air permits. The group said the agency’s notices and staff guidance suggested public-comment periods remained active despite the promised freeze.
The dispute is affecting communities near proposed projects in Lufkin, Hubbard, Abilene, Hill County and Caldwell County. Residents described construction continuing at the Nexus site and said projects often appear in government records under corporate entities that are difficult to connect to data center developers, including Amp Z, Verdant Industries and Edged Energy. Public Citizen director Kathryn Guerra called for clearer policy, while Abbott’s spokesman Eduardo Leal said the governor remains focused on protecting the electric grid, making data centers pay their costs and limiting community disruption.