Texas Freezes Environmental Permits for Data Centers; Regulator's Compliance Report Due October 19
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a directive on September 21 ordering the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to halt all environmental permits for data centers — covering air, wastewater and stormwater approvals — until grid operator ERCOT completes its interconnection audit. Until the audit is done, no state agency may advance data-center approvals.
The directive also attaches strict conditions: projects must cover 100% of their own power infrastructure costs, may not draw on community water supplies, must report all power and water use, and must comply with local setback rules. Abbott also said he would work with the Legislature to eliminate all financial incentives for data centers.
According to analyses by several law firms, TCEQ must submit a progress and compliance report to the governor by Monday, October 19, and ERCOT's audit covers interconnection loads of 25 megawatts or more. The statewide permit freeze is an unusual step in the national debate over data centers' demand on grids and water, and is expected to affect both tech companies' construction plans and local communities.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 数据中心内部（资料图）。图：BalticServers／Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 3.0。Inside a data center (file photo). Photo: BalticServers / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
