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Texas orders audits of data centers seeking grid connections amid AI and mining
The order covers about 474 GW of pending grid connection requests, with Abbott saying roughly 90% relates to data centers.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Public Utility Commission and ERCOT to audit every data center project seeking a grid connection before regulators approve new work, putting AI infrastructure tied to Bitcoin miners under scrutiny, according to CryptoSlate.
The audit is set to verify project details including power sourcing, water use, and cooling plans, as well as ownership, while Abbott said the review covers roughly 474 GW of pending connection requests.
Abbott also said about 90% of that demand comes from data centers, a level he noted is more than five times the grid's record peak load. After the order landed, ERCOT paused its Batch Zero transmission planning study, and a separate PUCT survey indicated only 28 of 377 companies responded when asked about their data center plans.
CryptoSlate notes that public Bitcoin miners have been pitching multi-gigawatt AI infrastructure pipelines to investors, a label that can bundle different stages of development. The story highlights examples from Hut 8 and others, including financed, tenant-backed capacity in Texas and additional pipeline projects that could be affected by ERCOT's batch review timing.
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