Paul Cobler, The Texas TribuneAugust 14, 2026The audit and verification of data centers ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott will involve about 250 to 300 projects, most of which are data centers, state grid operator officials told the Public Utility Commission on Friday.

The officials' testimony also highlighted just how data significant the buildout is: The 200 gigawatt of future demand accounted for by the projects that will be audited is more than twice the ERCOT grid's peak demand record set last month.

It will take the Electric Reliability Council of Texas "several months" to audit the projects, which must be completed before any data center can be approved for connection to the state grid, according to Abbott's Aug. 3 directive to ERCOT and the PUCT.