Greg Abbott Orders New Water Penalties Against Texas Data Centers
Summary
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered penalties against data centers that do not report their water use as required by state law. This move aims to improve the state’s understanding of water demand as data centers grow rapidly and use more water.Key Facts
- Governor Abbott directed the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to penalize data centers refusing to report water usage.
- Water-use reporting is required under the Texas Water Code for major water users like data centers.
- Data centers currently use less than 1% of Texas’ water but could use 3% to 9% by 2040 if growth continues.
- Facilities that fail to report may face criminal charges and lose permits from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
- Less than 30% of data centers responded to state water-use surveys in recent years.
- Texas relies on these surveys to plan for future water needs and infrastructure.
- Another audit ordered in August requires data centers to disclose water use for electric grid connection approval.
- Experts warn Texas data centers could significantly increase water usage in the coming years, reaching billions of gallons annually.
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