Texas Gov. Greg Abbott orders halt to all data center permits - Arc XP

The order applies statewide, so a data center project near Lubbock falls under the same freeze as one planned in Austin or Dallas. Abbott's office says state agencies need the ERCOT data before they can make informed calls on new regulatory approvals, so TCEQ won't touch a data center permit application until that audit wraps up.

Abbott framed the move as a matter of who pays for growth. "Data centers must pay their own way, protect our grid and water, and complete the ERCOT and TWDB audits," he said, adding that Texans have to come first.

For West Texas, where cheap land and wind power have made data centers an attractive pitch to local officials, this pumps the brakes on any new project still waiting on state sign-off. Companies with permits already in hand keep moving, but everyone else sits in line until ERCOT and the Texas Water Development Board finish their audits. No timeline has been given for how long that takes, and the freeze has no expiration date.