Texas halts 17 data-center permits and disables automated licensing system

After Governor Greg Abbott instructed a total halt on new data-center authorizations, Texas regulators discovered that the STEERS automated licensing platform was still granting permits. In response, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality suspended 17 stormwater construction permits tied to data-center projects and temporarily shut down the electronic filing system. Watchdog groups FracTracker Alliance and Public Citizen had highlighted that approvals had slipped through the freeze.

The suspension is part of a larger review of about 1,800 facilities, aimed at protecting the state's power grid and water resources. Abbott emphasized that any project failing to meet standards set by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and ERCOT will be barred from connecting to the grid. The action comes as Texas is projected to become a leading global data-center hub, with major tech firms planning massive AI infrastructure investments.