Texas Governor's Data Center Moratorium Draws Criticism as Calls for Special Session Grow

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a moratorium on new data centers in the state, directing the Public Utility Commission of Texas and ERCOT to collect data on the facilities' water and energy usage as part of a state-led audit. The directive was reported by KERA News on August 5, 2026. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa criticized the moratorium as insufficient, and the advocacy group Public Citizen called for state lawmakers to convene a special legislative session before the regularly scheduled 2027 session, noting that the governor's authority to act on this issue is limited without such a session. The moratorium requires state agencies to gather data on resource consumption by data centers, though specific timelines, audit scope, or enforcement mechanisms were not detailed in available reporting. No official response from Gov. Abbott's office to the criticism was included in the source material. Separately, Fox News reported on August 1, 2026, that Will Lawrence, a Democratic Socialists of America member, called for a federal moratorium on new AI data centers, framing the issue in terms of local democratic governance during a period of early voting in Michigan. It remains unresolved whether this federal-level call is connected to or influenced by the Texas moratorium, as the two reports do not establish a direct relationship between the events. The current status of any special session request in Texas, and any response to Lawrence's federal proposal, are not confirmed in the available reporting.