Texas (KBTX) - Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to halt all permits sought by data centers until the Electric Reliability Council of Texas completes an audit of the industry.

In a letter to TCEQ Executive Director Kelly Keel dated Sept. 21, Abbott said no state agency should move forward with regulatory approvals related to data center development until information from the audits is available to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), ERCOT and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB)."Simply put, Texans must come first," Abbott said in a statement.

"Data centers must pay their own way, protect our grid and water, and complete the ERCOT and TWDB audits. Until they do, TCEQ will issue no permits sought by data center projects."Audits target grid reliability, water useAbbott had previously directed the PUC and ERCOT to audit all data centers undergoing ERCOT's interconnection process to determine whether their development compromises the reliability of the Texas electric grid or puts the state's natural resources at risk.