Overview
- The Texas attorney general’s office told 156 data‑center developments to provide up‑to‑date water‑use information, a step announced Thursday as part of a statewide probe into reporting shortfalls.
- The letters follow a summer directive from Gov. Greg Abbott that paused new data‑center permits and ordered audits by ERCOT and the Texas Water Development Board to quantify risks to the electric grid and long‑term water supplies.
- State law caps civil fines for failing to return water surveys at a modest amount, but regulators can withhold environmental permits or state funding to compel compliance and enforce reporting.
- Operators say low survey response rates partly reflect not receiving questionnaires, and Paxton’s office did not name any companies or allege specific legal violations in the letters.
- The probe could slow project timelines, affect local water planning and grid upgrades, and sharpen political debate about data‑center growth and resource costs during Paxton’s Senate campaign.