News Round-Up: October 2026

KPRC: Harris County has 46 data centers and almost no power to regulate them
Oct. 15 — Harris County officials are pushing for greater local control over data center development, citing concerns about electricity demand, water consumption, air quality and neighborhood safety as the industry expands across Texas.
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/10/15/harris-county-has-46-data-centers-and-almost-now-power-to-regulate-them/

US EIA: PJM, ERCOT, and SWPP all set peak load records this summer
Oct. 15 — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) peaked at 91.1 GW on July 22, 2026, 6.5% higher than the pre-2026 record of 85.5 GW on August 20, 2024.
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=68305

KSAT: How tightly will San Antonio regulate data centers?
Oct. 14 — Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones also tossed in a third option of her own that would also require council approval for new data centers, as well as requirements like replacing double the greenspace eliminated during construction.
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/10/15/how-tightly-will-san-antonio-regulate-data-centers/

Texas Tribune: Despite tough talk from Abbott and Paxton, Texas penalties for data center violations are light
Oct. 14 — Texas officials are promising tougher enforcement on data centers, but the existing law may offer limited leverage over the industry that has largely failed to report its water use.
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/10/14/texas-data-centers-water-use-penalties-enforcement/

KPRC: More than 1 million Texans affected by CenterPoint data breach, AG report shows
Oct. 14 — More than one million Texans were affected by a CenterPoint Energy data breach that compromised sensitive personal information, according to newly published information from the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/10/14/more-than-1-million-texans-affected-by-centerpoint-data-breach-ag-report-shows/

Houston Chronicle: CenterPoint Energy data breach affects over 1M Texans, new attorney general repo
Oct. 14 — A data breach at CenterPoint Energy has affected more than 1 million Texans, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/centerpoint-energy-data-breach-affects-132217937.html

Community Impact: CenterPoint Energy to install 4 miles of underground power lines in Katy
Oct, 13 — The new power lines will be more resilient through storms, reduce outage times for roughly 5,600 Katy customers and support the city’s growth with the new capacity, said Aaron Coronis, CenterPoint Energy service area manager.
https://communityimpact.com/katy-fulshear/government/centerpoint-energy-to-install-4-miles-of-underground-power-lines-in-katy/

Midland Reporter Telegram: Oncor hosts landowner meeting on transmission lines
Oct. 13 — West Texas landowners had an opportunity to discuss concerns and ask questions as Oncor hosted a public meeting regarding the 765-kilovolt transmission lines that are part of the Permian Electric Reliability Plan.
https://www.mrt.com/news/article/oncor-hosts-landowner-meeting-transmission-lines-22475753.php

WFAA: Hinojosa calls for halt on Texas data centers as Abbott shifts message
Oct. 13 — Gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa wants a pause on data centers until protections pass, while Abbott has paused permits amid rural backlash.
https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/elections/hinojosa-calls-for-halt-on-texas-data-centers-as-abbott-shifts-message/287-3ab776ef-2861-458a-ad8f-5baa17f764e8

Forbes: Texas Orders Data Center Audit As Grid Requests Reach 474 Gigawatts
Oct. 13 — Texas faces roughly 474 gigawatts of new demand requests, primarily from data centers, far exceeding its previous peak demand of about 91 gigawatts. In response, Governor Greg Abbott ordered the state’s Public Utility Commission and ERCOT to audit and verify these projects before connecting them.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daraabasiita/2026/10/13/texas-orders-data-center-audit-as-grid-requests-reach-474-gigawatts/

Fox7: City of Taylor moves forward with data center despite pushback from community
Oct. 12 — The city of Taylor is one step closer to getting another massive data center and power plant despite strong pushback from the community.
https://www.fox7austin.com/news/city-taylor-moves-forward-data-center-despite-pushback-from-community

Fox25: Killeen leaders work to craft data center zoning requirements as Texas moratorium pauses new projects
Oct. 12 — Killeen city leaders are working to find the right regulatory approach for potential data center developments, even as a statewide moratorium has temporarily halted all new data centers from opening.
https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/in-your-neighborhood/bell-county/killeen/killeen-leaders-work-to-craft-data-center-zoning-requirements-as-texas-moratorium-pauses-new-projects

Simply Wall Street: Will Texas Power Limits on Hutto Data Center Rethink Prologis’ (PLD) Development-Led Growth Narrative
Oct. 10 — In late September 2026, Prologis’s Texas data center venture with Skybox Data centers ran into uncertainty as new statewide limits on large power grid hookups raised questions about the project’s timing, scale and potential rental income.
https://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/articles/texas-power-limits-hutto-data-121515313.html

KPRC TV: CenterPoint sends Houston-area crews to Florida to help restore power after Hurricane Isaias
Oct. 10 — CenterPoint Energy has sent line workers and other personnel from the Houston area to Pensacola, Florida, to help restore power as communities recover from Hurricane Isaias.
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/10/10/centerpoint-sends-houston-area-crews-to-florida-to-help-restore-power-after-hurricane-isaias/

WOAI: Data Center Allies Form a Coalition to Discuss Economic Benefits Amid Opposition
Oct. Tech and Energy leaders have formed the Lone Star Infrastructure Coalition (LSIC) that includes Lancium, Oncor, Siemens Energy, and others. Led by former energy executive and Public Utility Commissioner, Jimmy Glofelty, who says he ‘wants to make sure the economic story gets told’. AI Expert, Matt Rosen, says this should help get the message across. “To understand what value the data centers actually bring into their communities- so that they’re better informed. The whole- ‘we’re all for it or we’re not going to do it all?’ is just too extreme.” He said.
https://woai.iheart.com/featured/san-antonios-first-news/content/2026-10-08-data-center-allies-form-a-coalition-to-discuss-economic-benefits-amid-opposition/

KUT News: Taylor City Council approves deal to clear the way for a nearby data center and power plant
Oct. 9 — Council members and city staff said that the agreement will allow Taylor to better manage the effects of the project, which includes data center facilities and an on-site power plant, by imposing regulations on things such as water use, noise and air quality. Without the agreement, they said, the city would have no authority over the project, which currently sits in an unincorporated part of Williamson County.
https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2026-10-09/taylor-tx-annex-data-center-power-plant

ABC 7 Amarillo: Xcel Energy launches transparency pledge as data center power demand raises cost fears
Oct. 9 — As energy demand grows across the Texas Panhandle and large data centers expand elsewhere, Xcel Energy is rolling out a new transparency initiative it says is designed to address customer concerns about who will pay for the infrastructure needed to keep the lights on.
https://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/xcel-energy-launches-transparency-pledge-as-data-center-power-demand-raises-cost-fears-justin-smiley-southwest-power-pool-ercot-our-energy-pledge

KSSTRadio: Texas Public Utility Commission Sues Attorney General to Block Release of Data Center Locations
Oct. 9 — The dispute traces back to action taken by the Texas Legislature, which directed the PUC to collect and report water use data from specific heavy-resource industries, including data centers.
https://www.ksstradio.com/2026/10/texas-public-utility-commission-sues-attorney-general-to-block-release-of-data-center-locations/

Texas Scorecard: Regulators to Consider Extension on 765-kV Line Rehearing Motions
Oct. 8 — American Stewards of Liberty requested that regulators overturn their previous approval.
https://texasscorecard.com/state/regulators-to-consider-extension-on-765-kv-line-rehearing-motions/

The Dallas Express: Texas Energy Fund Buildout Tops 5,400 MW With New Pecos Power Plant Loa n
Oct.8 — Texas is moving another major power project toward completion as electricity demand reaches record territory on the state’s main electric grid.
https://dallasexpress.com/state/texas-energy-fund-buildout-tops-5400-mw-with-new-pecos-power-plant-loan/

KVUE: Texas agency sues to stop release of data center records that it says could aid terrorists
Oct. 7 —The lawsuit filed Monday pits the state agency responsible for regulating utilities against Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office over the scope of Texas’ public-records law and the state’s protections for critical infrastructure.
https://www.kvue.com/article/news/community/data-centers/texas-puc-sues-stop-release-data-center-records-terrorists/269-f34a3ab3-04c8-4f49-afa0-72399e56bef7

Texas Scorecard: Public Utility Commission Sues Attorney General To Block Data Center Records Release
Oct. 8 — The court must determine whether the withheld data concerns critical infrastructure vulnerable to acts of terrorism.
https://texasscorecard.com/state/public-utility-commission-sues-attorney-general-to-block-data-center-records-release/