Texas agency sues to block release of data center locations
The Texas Public Utility Commission is suing to prevent the release of records identifying counties with data centers and cryptocurrency mines. The agency says public disclosure could expose critical power and water infrastructure to terrorist threats, while Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office previously found that the records had not been sufficiently justified as confidential.
The Texas Public Utility Commission has filed a lawsuit against the Office of Attorney General Ken Paxton in an effort to keep records about the locations of data centers and cryptocurrency mines from being released publicly. The agency argues that identifying the counties involved could help terrorists target critical electricity and water infrastructure.
The dispute follows a decision by Paxton’s office that the commission had not adequately justified withholding the records under public-information law. The lawsuit seeks to preserve the confidentiality of the location data on security grounds.