State Regulatory Agency
Appears in 4 stories · Last updated Oct 23, 2026
Directing ERCOT's audit and writing the state's large-load rules
Texas has widened its freeze on data centers from the power grid to environmental permits. On September 21, Governor Greg Abbott told the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to stop approving data center permits until the Electric Reliability Council of Texas finishes auditing the projects waiting to connect.
Updated Oct 23
As of August 2026: Approved two of five pending 765-kV applications
Texas utility regulators unanimously approved more than 400 miles of 765,000-volt transmission lines on August 28. The vote clears Dallas-based Oncor to build two corridors crossing 30 counties from Bosque County southwest toward the Permian Basin, where oil and gas companies say operations are starved for electricity.
Updated Aug 29
As of July 2026: Responding to Governor Abbott's data center directive; seeking expanded legislative authority; December 2026 rulemaking deadline
In February 2021, a winter storm knocked out the Texas power grid and hundreds of people died in the cold. On July 22, 2026, that same grid pulled its heaviest load ever, about 91,089 megawatts, and nobody was asked to turn down the air conditioning.
Updated Jul 30
As of May 2026: Oversees the grid where the shift is occurring
Coal has powered Texas for most of the past century. In 2026, for the first time on record, utility-scale solar is forecast to outproduce it for the full year in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
Updated May 14
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