Surging power demand from oil and gas producers in West Texas, alongside tech firms building data centers in the Permian, is sharply increasing local electricity needs. Diamondback, one of the Permian’s largest oil producers, says its power consumption could double over the next decade even if output stays flat. A Citigroup analyst warned Thursday the region could face blackouts as soon as next summer. Executives from the Texas grid operator and state utility regulators testified this week to th

Surging power demand from oil and gas producers in West Texas, alongside tech firms building data centers in the Permian, is sharply increasing local electricity needs. Diamondback, one of the Permian’s largest oil producers, says its power consumption could double over the next decade even if output stays flat. A Citigroup analyst warned Thursday the region could face blackouts as soon as next summer. Executives from the Texas grid operator and state utility regulators testified this week to the Texas House State Affairs Committee on the need to add transmission lines.