Energy & Environment

The TCEQ has temporarily shut down its online application system and has suspended all notices of intent for stormwater construction related to data centers, after a report from a national watchdog organization claimed the commission was violating the governor’s directive. Other actions like air emissions certifications and pollution notices for data center support structures appear unchanged.

FracTracker and Public Citizen identified 35 permitting actions taken by regulators in Texas in the weeks after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a moratorium.

Groups representing farmers and solar installers are suing the USDA after significant rule changes to the Rural Energy for America Program. They say new eligibility requirements illegally cut solar projects from the program and that the USDA has left people on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars by applying those changes retroactively. Meanwhile, our Brad Burt reports on an executive order signed by President Trump on Monday, waiving the restrictions and allowing tax-free, red-dyed off-road diesel to be used on highways until the end of the year.

Survey respondents said it's hard to make long term plans as oil prices continue to fluctuate.

Dyed diesel — regular diesel with red pigment — is reserved for off road use only, usually by farm and construction equipment. Unlike regular diesel, it is untaxed. With the proclamation, the governor's office aims to alleviate skyrocketing prices at the gas pump. While it increases the supply of diesel, it does not affect the fuel tax, which is 20 cents per gallon.

Harris County was awarded $54 million for the solar program in 2024. That money was rescinded in August last year when the county received a termination letter from the EPA that claimed to end the initiative.

The move is the latest in a series of escalating efforts by the governor to slow data center development in Texas ahead of November’s election.

Police officers in Amarillo have new protocol and policy related to the city’s automatic license plate reader cameras. This comes after a former Amarillo officer was fired and arrested, charged with 76 counts of tampering with government records when he was accused of abusing the city’s camera system. The Texas General Land Office announced yesterday that it is exploring possibly allowing small nuclear reactors as well geothermal and natural gas plants on state land.

Data center development has picked up in the Austin area, and residents have voiced concerns about water and energy resources related to the construction. But experts say they can use those concerns to get the companies to build more sustainably.

Energy regulators and industry experts warn that the state's delays to major projects amid backlash from residents could create rolling blackouts and strangle growth of other industries that need power.