# Texas freezes data-center permits pending grid and water reviews

_Published Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 3:22 AM EDT · Infrastructure, Policy · Latest · Tier 1 — Major_

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to stop approving data-center projects until regulators obtain information needed to assess their demands on the state's power grid and water resources. His September 21 directive bars the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from issuing permits while the Electric Reliability Council of Texas completes its audit, expected by December.

Developers will be asked to disclose planned generation, power consumption, water use, cooling technology, subsidies and ownership. The order cancels no projects, but it adds a statewide approval barrier; the environmental regulator must report on compliance by October 19.

## Sources

- [Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/governor-abbott-freezes-texas-data-031219073.html)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/59am3eLd-nPYwlWmr_Pq0f
Published: 2026-09-22T07:22:17.125Z
Story chronology: 2026-09-21T00:00:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-09-22T09:20:45.112Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)