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The Latest Breaking News from ERCOT

Who Pays for the High-Powered Grid that Data Centers Need?

Texas would make large AI hyperscalers pay for the wires that connect them. Whether they must also pay directly for the broader grid work needed to serve them is still an open question.

Texas Observer

Here’s how to find information about data centers in Texas

What information is accessible about a data center project can differ from place to place and depend on whether a project seeks out tax breaks, whether it needs local rezoning or special permits, and how it will get its power and water.

The Texas Tribune

Texas avoided a huge electricity crisis and blackout risk, thanks to the massive 20,000-megawatt solar buffer

Texas has relied on its old thermal power plants for a long time, but a massive shift is currently reforming the state's electric network. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas(ERCOT), the body responsible for managing the majority of the state’s power flow, has supervised a required change towards renewable energy…

The Times of India

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Samsung wants to bring a floating data center to Texas — huge waterborne facility could offer 50MW of capacity and even cool itself

Samsung and Mousterian advanced Texas floating data center plans while regulatory scrutiny over ERCOT grid connections continues to increase statewide.

TechRadar

“Our top priority is to…”: Why Texas just hit pause on new data centers as Greg Abbott orders audit amid Elon Musk’s Texas push

Texas has paused approvals for new data centers as Governor Greg Abbott orders a sweeping audit of projects seeking access to the state’s power grid. The move comes as Elon Musk expands his Texas footprint and concerns grow over soaring electricity demand, water use and the impact of AI data…

The Economic Times

The AI boom just hit a wall — these states are considering banning all new data centers

With the recent news that Texas announced a moratorium on all data center approvals, there are plenty of other states also considering banning them.

Tom’s Guide

Greg Abbott Once Called Texas the 'Epicenter' of AI. Now He's Freezing Data Center Construction.

The bipartisan backlash against data centers reaches the Lone Star State.

Reason

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Texas slams on the brakes for 1,800 data centers, power grid requirements are five times higher than peak record demand — 474 gigawatts of power requests are now subject to new moratorium

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) instructed PUCT and ERCOT to pause all data center applications until they complete an audit on all the information that data center developers must submit. The move reportedly came after PUCT asked 377 data center operators to submit water and power use, of which only 28…

Tom’s Hardware

Data center approvals in Texas halted until audits completed, Gov. Greg Abbott says

On Monday, the governor ordered the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to audit all data centers wanting to connect to the state’s power grid.

The Texas Tribune

Energy agencies want more authority over Texas data centers

The request comes after Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas and Electric Reliability Council of Texas to further regulate data centers’ use of the power grid.

The Texas Tribune

With Texas’ Data Center Boom, Uncertainty Is the Business Plan

Proposed projects are driven by sketchy numbers nobody has to prove: inflated demand, water use most companies never report, power plans that route around ordinary review. Either way, the public pays.

Texas Observer

Nikki Haley, Ted Cruz Face Backlash After Mocking Zohran Mamdani's AC Conservation Request

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) came under fire on social media Thursday after criticizing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's request that residents conserve electricity during a heat wave by setting their air conditioners to 78 degrees.

Latin Times

Abbott recommends sweeping data center regulation, including eliminating sales tax exemption

The recommendations for legislative action amount to a striking call for industry regulation by the Republican governor in a state that has long prided itself on being a favorable environment for business.

The Texas Tribune

An unprecedented data center boom means new challenges for Texas. Find out what’s planned near you.

A Texas Tribune analysis identified at least 248 planned data center projects. Opponents fear the projects will spike Texans’ electric bills and make the grid less reliable. But industry representatives say they promise huge economic gains.

The Texas Tribune

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Reason

Data Center Wars: North Carolina Resists Innovation While Texas Considers Market-Based Rules

As data centers dominate public debate, two states reveal their approach. Texas has taken a stance in line with market needs, while North Carolina reacts to fear and bad press.

Texas Observer

Texas Nights Are Getting Hotter, and the Power Grid Isn’t Ready

The state grid was built on the assumption that demand would fall at night. As hotter evenings and around-the-clock power use erase that drop, the system is being pushed in ways its original design did not fully anticipate.

International Business Times UK

Republican Voters Warn They Will Flip Democrat Over Data Centres: 'My Entire Community Will Break Rank'

In Texas, lifelong Republicans are reconsidering their political allegiance due to AI data centres consuming rural land and increasing electricity costs, potentially impacting upcoming elections.

The Conversation

Blackout risks are rising – why neighboring power grids can’t just send extra electricity where it’s needed

Extreme weather is posing a growing threat to the power supplies Americans rely on.

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The Texas Tribune

Gas power leapfrogs wind for first time in 10 years in Texas’ grid connection queue

Data centers are largely driving the sudden rise in natural gas power projects on the waiting list to connect to Texas' grid.

Texas Observer

When the AI Cloud Comes for Texas Water

Legislators are (sort of) beginning to grapple with the grim costs that come with the state’s data center boom.

The Texas Tribune

Texas grid operator forecasts massive growth in demand, but says data is likely flawed

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas reported that peak energy demand could quadruple by 2032, but cautioned that its estimate is likely too high and must be revised.

inkl

AI Data Center Boom Falters as 60+ Projects Are Scrapped or Stalled

The United States is building AI data center infrastructure at a pace not seen since the interstate highway program, and the strains are beginning to show.

The Texas Tribune

Used electric vehicle batteries find new life bolstering the Texas grid

A company is repurposing the batteries to store electricity and sell it to the grid when power from wind and solar dwindles.

The Texas Tribune

Texas’ power grid weathered another winter storm. Is it ready for the future?

Five years after Winter Storm Uri caused catastrophic blackouts that killed hundreds, the electric grid has changed significantly, but increasing demand means it will have to adapt even more.

The Texas Tribune

Texas winter storm updates: Power grid holds up through its tightest condition on Monday, Gov. Abbott says

ERCOT officials expected to see power demand close in on power supply by Monday 8 a.m., but the grid held “flawlessly,” Abbott said.

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