Texas Continued Processing Data Center Permits During Abbott Pause

Texas regulators took 35 actions on data center permit applications after Governor Greg Abbott directed agencies to halt approvals on September 21, according to KUT. Public records analyzed by FracTracker Alliance and Public Citizen show that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) continued reviewing applications and advancing projects.

The actions included assigning engineers or expediting 14 permits, granting stormwater coverage for 11, certifying emissions estimates for seven and issuing public notices for three. Abbott's office maintains that the pause applies to permit approvals rather than processing and that no permits have received final approval.

TCEQ states that staff are screening pending applications and pausing those covered by the directive. Records show activity involving gas power facilities intended to supply data centers, including preliminary approvals mailed one day after the directive and stormwater permits for campuses operated by Crusoe and EdgeConneX.