# Texas Governor Abbott pauses data center grid approvals 2026-08-07T09:44:21+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Texas Governor Greg Abbott has paused approvals for new data centers seeking to connect to the state's electric grid, ordering regulators to conduct a comprehensive audit before any projects can move forward. Developers must now 'prove' their expected electricity and water use, tax incentives, cooling methods, and community impact before grid connection, according to The Texas Tribune. The move comes as the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) reports over 1,800 projects in its interconnection queue, representing 474 GW of demand, with data centers accounting for about 90% of new requests. Abbott's directive follows low participation in a state survey on data center resource use: only 28 of 377 companies responded. The governor said projects failing the audit should be denied connection, stating 'Texans must come first.' The order may affect ongoing transmission planning studies and has drawn praise from environmental groups, who urge lasting legislative safeguards. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: AI infrastructure, data centres, electricity grid, Texas, water use Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/texas-halts-data-centre-approvals-pending-power-audit/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/texas-halts-data-centre-approvals-pending-power-audit/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.