Texas Governor orders penalties for datacenters that ignore water disclosure law

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday ordered state regulators to enforce penalties against data‑center operators that do not comply with state requirements to disclose their water consumption. Citing the Texas Water Code, Abbott emphasized that “data centers must share the duty to protect Texas water,” and instructed the Texas Water Development Board to exercise its enforcement authority to address past non‑compliance and to impose legal consequences for any future violations.

The directive comes as Texas faces ongoing drought conditions that strain water resources across the state. Under the Water Code, facilities that use significant amounts of water are required to submit a complete and accurate water‑use survey. Abbott’s order aims to ensure that data‑center operators, which can consume large volumes of water for cooling, are held accountable for their impact on the state’s limited water supplies, reinforcing broader efforts to manage and preserve water amid persistent scarcity.