Abbott’s data center moratorium stirs mixed reactions in Texas

Published August 4, 2026 10:38am ET



Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) on Monday placed a moratorium on new data center development in Texas, sparking a variety of reactions in the Lone Star state. 

Abbott said he was halting approvals for new data center projects until the state’s Public Utility Commission and Electric Reliability Council complete an audit on all data centers wanting to connect to the state’s power grid. ERCOT is considering approximately 474 gigawatts of requests to connect to the Texas grid, more than five times the state’s record peak electricity demand for ERCOT, Abbott wrote in a letter to the regulators, adding that around 90% of the new power requests are from data centers.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.