TBNTech
'It Ain't Right:' Texas Said It Would Halt Data Center Permits. The State is Pushing Ahead Anyway
Publication: 404 Media
Author: Matthew Gault
Source published: 19/10/2026, 21:40:42 UTC
Briefing created: 20/10/2026, 00:30:00 UTC
Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 20/10/2026, 00:28:23 UTC.
Briefings
Texas environmental regulator TCEQ issued multiple data center permits despite Governor Greg Abbott's September 21 directive to halt approvals. Public Citizen and FracTracker Alliance identified over 15 and 35 permits respectively, including gas plant approvals and stormwater construction permits. Abbott's office denied approving new permits, citing compliance with his directive, while TCEQ admitted to accepting applications without moving forward. The state remains poised to be a major data center hub with hundreds of active and planned projects.
Key points
- TCEQ issued over 15 data center permits including gas plant approvals and stormwater construction permits despite Governor Abbott's September 21 directive to halt approvals.
- Stormwater construction permits were approved via a regulatory loophole allowing companies to file a notice of intent and add to a pre-existing permit without formal review.
Context
Texas is poised to be the data center capital of the world with hundreds of active and planned projects. The controversy centers on Governor Greg Abbott's September 21 directive to halt data center permits, which the state agency TCEQ claimed was followed, while activists argue the agency issued permits without proper review.
Limitations
Evidence covers permits identified by Public Citizen and FracTracker Alliance, with Public Citizen citing 15 and FracTracker citing 35. Some permits may have been filed before the September 21 directive. The nature of the regulatory loophole for stormwater permits is described as a 'generic construction permit' rather than a formal review process.
Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 20/10/2026, 00:30:00 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.
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