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Governor Greg Abbott just put data centers on notice: no more hiding their water use. His directive orders the Texas Water Development Board to penalize data centers that ignored the state’s mandatory water‑use survey and to refer scofflaws to prosecutors and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. This is a targeted, commonsense move to protect Texas water supplies and make sure big tech plays by the rules.
Abbott’s order: enforcement, referrals, and a hard deadline
The governor didn’t whisper. He told the TWDB to use its enforcement authority, to notify county and district attorneys, and to flag companies that might lose permit eligibility. TWDB must give Abbott an update by Oct. 14 on who complied and what enforcement steps were taken. That’s the practical follow‑through Texans expect when state law is ignored.
Why the survey matters — and why tech companies can’t be casual about it
The TWDB survey gathers basic facts: how much water a facility uses, where it gets that water, and whether it generates its own power. Response rates have sunk to roughly 28–30 percent lately, even as the number of data centers in Texas has exploded. Some sites use water like small towns — one facility reported more than 300 million gallons a year. You don’t plan pipes, reservoirs, or permits on guesses. Transparency isn’t a favor; it’s required for public planning.
Linking water rules to grid access is smart policy
This enforcement action ties directly to Abbott’s earlier audit order for ERCOT and the PUCT to vet data‑center projects before grid interconnection. If a project won’t play straight on water reporting, why should it get a fast pass onto the grid? Denying interconnection to projects that fail audits is a lever that actually works — unlike polite letters that get tossed in a mailbox labeled “ignore.”
Bottom line: Texas is defending its resources — and voters should expect results
Big tech learned it could grow first and answer later. Abbott is saying that ends now. The TWDB has limits, sure — it can’t prosecute itself — but referrals, TCEQ notifications, and grid denial are real teeth. If local prosecutors do their job, companies that shirk reporting should face consequences. Texans should cheer a governor who puts water and voters ahead of corporate convenience. If data centers want to operate in Texas, they’ll either comply or go somewhere that runs on wishful thinking and empty promises.
