Overview
- Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Water Development Board to penalize data centers that failed to return the TWDB 2025 water‑use survey, a directive issued on Monday that escalates enforcement beyond earlier audits.
- Under the Texas Water Code, major water users who skip the survey can face a Class C misdemeanor, become ineligible for Texas Commission on Environmental Quality permits or renewals, and be referred to county or district attorneys.
- Abbott ordered TWDB to coordinate with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which is auditing data centers’ energy and water use and expects to finish that review by December.
- TWDB must report the enforcement actions it takes by Oct. 14, a deadline that will show whether the state pursues criminal referrals, permit disqualifications, or other statutory remedies.
- State officials say the surveys feed the state water plan and grid planning, and the governor’s enforcement push responds to growing political pressure and local concerns about data centers’ water and power demands.