Gov. Greg Abbott announced that several major data center companies have agreed to comply with new Texas standards to protect the state's power grid, water resources, communities, and taxpayers.
Data Centers Agree to Texas Standards
Gov. Abbott announced that several major data center companies have committed to complying with state-established standards and guidelines as Texas continues its push for more responsible data center development.
Companies including EdgeConneX, Stream Data Centers, Google, Rowan, CleanSpark, Oracle, OpenAI, Meta, Skybox, Digital Realty, and MARA have announced compliance with Abbott's standards. QTS Data Centers also committed to participating in the state's comprehensive audit of data center projects.
Gov. Greg Abbott: "I established clear guardrails to ensure data centers protect our electric grid, conserve our water, respect our neighborhoods, and pay their own way. They must not pass costs on to Texas families or interfere with their quality of life."
What the Standards Require
Abbott previously directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to review data center projects before they can move forward.
Under the standards, data centers must:
- Pay for their own electric infrastructure rather than shifting costs to Texas families and small businesses.
- Reuse their own water and disclose projected water use and conservation measures.
- Provide information about projected electricity demand and plans for on-site power generation.
- Disclose taxpayer-funded incentives, grants, abatements, and other public financial assistance.
- Address potential impacts on surrounding communities, including noise, lighting, traffic, emergency response, and residential disruptions.
- Disclose project ownership and controlling interests.
Abbott said the requirements are intended to ensure the rapid expansion of data centers does not come at the expense of Texas residents.
Since the standards were announced, the governor's office said data centers across the state have either committed to compliance or announced they are ending their projects.
The state's audit is part of a broader effort to balance Texas' growing data center industry with concerns over electricity demand, water consumption, infrastructure costs, and quality of life.
