FracTracker Alliance, a national nonprofit that studies health and community risks of the oil and gas industry, published the report Oct. 19 with the consumer group Public Citizen. It counted 35 actions that advanced data center development since Abbott's Sept. 21 letter. On Oct. 21, the authors added nine more actions and three ongoing ones to the spreadsheet.
Abbott's letter told the commission to "halt all permits sought by data centers" until an audit finishes of projects seeking to join the state grid through ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas. It also said no other state agency shall move forward with regulatory approvals related to data centers. The commission told the governor Monday that it has not issued permits for data centers or supporting infrastructure.
Sam Law, an Austin-based FracTracker researcher and the report's author, says that misses the point. The commission kept granting other approvals, he said. Those included new stormwater construction approvals, emissions certifications, public notices of air quality permit applications from data center developers, and reviews of applications for gas plants or generators.
For now, the stormwater pause is the only visible change. Air emissions certifications and pollution notices for data center support structures appear unchanged, so developers face a stall on one front while the rest of the pipeline keeps moving.