Abbott Orders Penalties for Texas Datacenters Missing Water Reports as 25 Billion Gallons Fuel Scrutiny
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 14
Abbott Orders Penalties for Texas Datacenters Missing Water Reports as 25 Billion Gallons Fuel Scrutiny
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 14
Summary
Texas Governor Greg Abbott told the Texas Water Development Board to penalize datacenters that failed to file complete water-use surveys, saying past and future noncompliance could bring civil and criminal consequences.
Abbott said major water users, including datacenters, appear to have violated the Texas Water Code by withholding required usage data, and he urged the water board to coordinate enforcement with Texas power regulators.
Last month’s separate audit already requires datacenters seeking ERCOT grid connections to disclose water consumption, water sources and efficiency measures; projects that do not comply can be denied interconnection.
Texas has 335 datacenters and at least 248 more planned, while the sector used an estimated 25 billion gallons of water in 2025 and could reach 161 billion gallons annually by 2030.