Statewide · elected officials
State-level action on data centers
Directives, executive orders, bills, and regulatory rulings from Texas’s statewide officials and agencies — the Governor, the Legislature, the PUC, ERCOT, and others — on data centers, large-load power, battery storage, and crypto mining. Distinct from the 254-county tracker. Updated by the same weekly news sweep.
Senator Hagen’s office asks Lieutenant Governor to prioritize interim study of data center impacts
State Senator Brent Hagen
A district coordinator for State Senator Brent Hagen told Grayson County commissioners that the senator's office sent a letter asking Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick to prioritize a legislative interim study on grid reliability, water use and land-use authority tied to large-scale data centers.
Senator's office asks Texas Legislature to study data center impacts after Grayson County resolution ↗State Senator Bettencourt warns Texas counties lack authority to impose data center moratoriums
State Senator Paul Bettencourt
State Senator Paul Bettencourt sent a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on the day of the Hood County vote, arguing counties have no constitutional or statutory authority to impose moratoriums on data center development.
Texas county pauses data center construction in rural areas for a year ↗Sen. Bettencourt warns Hood County it lacks authority for data center moratorium
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt sent a letter warning Hood County commissioners they had no constitutional or statutory authority to impose a data center development moratorium and asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to weigh in.
Hood County rejects data center development pause ↗Texas Legislature passes SB 6 overhauling large-load interconnection and cost allocation
Texas Legislature — SB 6
The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 6, signed by Governor Abbott, requiring large electrical loads such as data centers to disclose competing interconnection requests, share infrastructure costs, and participate in load management on the ERCOT grid.
Important Texas Regulatory Updates for Data Centers ↗Texas Legislature passes SB 6 regulating large-load interconnection costs
Texas Legislature — SB 6
The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 6, requiring large electricity customers like data centers to bear more of the costs of connecting to and operating on the ERCOT grid; Gov. Abbott signed it into law on June 20, 2025.
Texas Legislature Passes Important Regulatory Changes for Texas Data Centers and Other Large Load Customers ↗Texas House bills filed to expand siting authority over battery storage and renewable facilities
Texas Legislature — HB 1343, HB 1378, HB 3056
Texas House bills were filed that would allow counties and cities to restrict siting of battery energy storage, solar and wind facilities near other property owners and would require PUC permits for battery storage equipment connected to ERCOT.
Texas Bills to Watch: Siting, Permitting, and Removal of BESS, Solar and Wind ↗Texas lawmakers hold hearing on data center sales tax exemption costs
Texas Senate Committee (Sen. Joan Huffman, Sen. Charles Perry)
Texas lawmakers reviewed the rapidly growing cost of the state's data center sales tax exemption, with witnesses urging mandatory energy/water reporting and greater county authority over siting.
Texas lawmakers question data center tax breaks as costs and community concerns grow ↗