Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued an order that requires the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to audit all data centers advancing through ERCOT’s interconnection process before they can become operational. Data center projects that fail to comply with the requirements set forth by the PUCT and ERCOT will be denied connection to the Texas grid.
The audits are designed to determine which data centers are paying their own way or depending on the state for financial assistance; which data centers are providing their own power or depending on the ERCOT grid for that power; the extent to which data centers are bringing their own water and reusing their own water as opposed to using water needed by local communities; the extent to which data centers are using measures to reduce disruptive impacts on neighboring property owners and communities; and information detailing the ownership and controlling interests in the projects.
ERCOT is currently considering approximately over 474 gigawatts of requests to connect to the Texas grid, more than five times Texas’ record peak electricity demand for ERCOT. Approximately 90% of the new power requests come from the developers of data centers.
“Our top priority is to protect Texans’ safety and quality of life,” said Abbott in a statement. “Any project that fails to comply with the requirements set forth by the PUCT and ERCOT, and by state law, must be denied connection to the Texas grid. Simply put, Texans must come first.”
Photo by Mike Mozart / Flickr Creative Commons
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