Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to stop issuing new authorizations for data center projects statewide. This order freezes all state-issued permits until the Electric Reliability Council of Texas completes a statewide audit of risks to the electricity grid and water supplies.

The directive prohibits any state agency from moving forward with approvals related to data center development until the required resource information is acquired. The halt follows a moratorium issued by the governor several weeks ago to evaluate the impact of these facilities on power and water infrastructure.