● Covered by 2 sources · 3 reportsMedium impact1 negative2 neutral
Texas Environmental Agency Continues Data Center Permit Approvals Despite Governor's Call to Halt
Key points
- Texas Governor Abbott called for a halt to data center permits on September 21.
- Nonprofits found TCEQ continued processing over a dozen data center permits.
- TCEQ issued air-emission limits and approved stormwater coverage for data centers.
- Abbott received $9 million in donations from data center developers.
- Texas shut down its STEERS web portal for automated construction permit filing.
- 17 data center project permits were suspended by TCEQ.
- Permit review shifted from automated processing to manual staff review.
- FracTracker Alliance and Public Citizen published reports on permits issued.
- 404 Media reported on the watchdog groups' findings.
- OpenAI and Amazon projects were approved via STEERS earlier this week.
Permit Activity Continues Post-Moratorium Call
Nonprofit organizations Public Citizen and FracTracker Alliance allege that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has continued to issue permits for data center projects. This activity reportedly occurred after Governor Greg Abbott publicly called for a halt to new data center permits on September 21. The Governor's office denied approving any new permits.
Evidence from Public Records
Public Citizen and FracTracker Alliance reviewed the TCEQ's public database, identifying multiple instances of permit work. Public Citizen listed over 15 related permits, while FracTracker Alliance found 35. These activities include reviewing documents, assigning engineers, issuing air-emission limit certificates for a Houston data center, approving stormwater coverage in several cities, and fast-tracking gas power plants for over a dozen projects.
Concerns Over Transparency and Influence
Kathryn Guerra of Public Citizen stated that TCEQ's data indicates "business as usual" for data centers, despite promises of a freeze. This situation has led to increased distrust in the agency. The findings were announced on the same day The Texas Tribune reported that Governor Abbott had received $9 million in donations from data center developers and owners.
Texas's Data Center Expansion
Texas is experiencing significant growth in its data center industry. The state currently hosts 300 operational data centers, with an additional 100 under construction and 200 more in the planning stages. This expansion includes large projects from companies like Meta, which is building a $14 billion data center in El Paso.
Updates
- FracTracker Alliance and Public Citizen published reports on permits issued.
- 404 Media reported on the watchdog groups' findings.
- OpenAI and Amazon projects were approved via STEERS earlier this week.
- Texas shut down its STEERS web portal for automated construction permit filing.
- 17 data center project permits were suspended by TCEQ.
- Permit review shifted from automated processing to manual staff review.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Texas suspended 17 data center construction permits and shut down an automated permit portal after new permits were issued despite a gubernatorial halt order. This action follows concerns raised by watchdog groups regarding data centers' power and water consumption, and their community impact.
Texas shut down its automated construction permit filing system (STEERS) and suspended 17 data center project permits after reports revealed continued approvals despite a gubernatorial pause order. The move shifts permit review from an automated process to manual staff review, impacting ongoing data center construction in the state.
Texas environmental regulators are reportedly continuing to process and approve permits for data center projects, despite Governor Greg Abbott's public call to halt new permits. Nonprofits Public Citizen and FracTracker Alliance identified multiple ongoing permit activities, raising concerns about the state's commitment to the announced pause and potential influence from industry donations.