<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3gNYN9_1FRzwFnI00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3gNYN9_1FRzwFnI00" width="1200" height="600" >GRIMES COUNTY, Texas (KBTX) - Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Monday to halt new data center permits while ERCOT, the Public Utility Commission and the Texas Water Development Board audit the industry’s strain on the state’s power grid and water supply.KBTX looked into whether the directive would affect SpaceX’s Terafab project in Grimes County.Here’s what we found: Terafab was originally pitched to the county as a data center. Now, county leaders say it’s classified as a chip manufacturing plant, with a twist.“As far as I know, it does not have any effect on the Terafab project because it is a chip manufacturing operation,” Grimes County Judge Joe Fauth said. “They will have a data center on their site, but it’s only to aid their particular business.”Fauth said he hasn’t heard from the governor’s office and doesn’t believe Terafab’s permits are affected, at least for now.“If it does, then I’m sure he’ll be making contact with Terafab, Terafab will make contact with the court, and we’ll know the status of it at that point in time,” Fauth said.Texas A&amp;M researchers say that distinction matters, but so does the bigger picture.“The number of data centers in the state, and nationally, and globally is growing at a rate that the data center down the road will become a major sector of water and energy in the economy,” said Rabi Mohtar, a Texas A&amp;M professor of biological and agricultural engineering and civil and environmental engineering.Mohtar and colleague Bassel Daher say most data centers don’t publicly disclose how much water or power they use, making Abbott’s audit overdue.“Only 17% of data centers voluntarily disclose their water and energy use,” said Daher, assistant director for sustainable development at the Texas A&amp;M Energy Institute. “Without these public disclosures, it’s hard for us to do this kind of estimation.”Fauth said Terafab can’t use groundwater. Instead, the project will run on recycled surface water from Gibbons Creek Reservoir and its own power supply, separate from the ERCOT grid.Gov. Abbott’s office referred KBTX back to its original press release when asked whether the pause includes Grimes County projects. Neither TCEQ nor SpaceX responded to requests for comment.For now, county leaders say construction is moving forward: permits and the pause are unaffected.TCEQ’s audit report is due back to the governor’s office Oct. 19.</div></body>

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GRIMES COUNTY, Texas (KBTX) - Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Monday to halt new data center permits while ERCOT, the Public Utility Commission and the Texas Water Development Board audit the industry’s strain on the state’s power grid and water supply. KBTX looked...

Terafab may not be impacted by Gov. Abbott’s pause on data centers

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GRIMES COUNTY, Texas (KBTX) - Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Monday to halt new data center permits while ERCOT, t

Terafab may not be impacted by Gov. Abbott’s pause on data centers

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