On September 21, 2026, Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to halt issuance of permits to data centers until the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) completes an audit of impacts on the Texas electric grid and water resources. The directive extends the state’s scrutiny of data center development beyond electricity demand, water consumption, infrastructure costs, and impacts on local communities to now include environmental permitting.