Texas tightens oversight of data-center growth

Texas is moving from rapid expansion toward structured oversight after Governor Greg Abbott halted new grid connections and called for a ban on rural data-center development. A Bexar County investigation into data-center water-use reporting adds a concrete compliance signal; audits, potential criminal penalties, permit consequences, and TWDB-ERCOT coordination increase execution and operating risk. The Hutto proposal remains a 200,000-square-foot AI facility with unresolved power, water, tenants, incentives, and execution.