Texas Governor asks regulators to protect communities from data centers' power, water use
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has urged the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to take action regarding data centers' power and water usage. He wants to prevent data centers from depleting local water supplies and passing electrical infrastructure costs onto communities. Abbott also committed to working with the Legislature to enact protections into law.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed state regulators, including the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), to address the environmental and financial impacts of data centers.
In a letter, Governor Abbott specifically called for measures to prevent data centers from depleting local water supplies and ensure that communities are not burdened with the costs of electrical infrastructure required to power these facilities. He emphasized that data center operations must prioritize cost reduction for residential electricity customers and consider the needs of neighborhoods.
Additionally, Governor Abbott committed to collaborating with the Texas Legislature during its next session to codify these protections into state law, aiming to safeguard Texans from undue expenses and resource strain caused by data center development.