Texas Governor Greg Abbott has moved to slow data‑center construction ahead of
midterm elections, and the policy shift is already affecting developers. Abbott
has shifted from a pro‑development stance to a skeptical one, prompting
developers to consider relocating projects to Utah, Georgia and Iowa. The change
risks slowing Texas’s data‑center growth; the state had been positioned to
overtake Virginia as the largest global hub. Abbott has ordered the state
environmental regulator to stop issuing any data‑center permits until the state
grid operator completes evaluations of applicants seeking power interconnection,
and those applicants are currently awaiting approval to connect to the grid.
