Texas Governor orders audit of data centers in the ERCOT queue; ERCOT pauses Batch Zero

Governor Greg Abbott wrote to the Texas PUC and ERCOT ordering an audit of data centers seeking grid connections, and said no further data-center approvals should move forward until the audit is finished. ERCOT responded by postponing its Batch Zero study, which was due to tell utilities which projects qualified by August 7. For Vistra, the risk is slower data-center demand in ERCOT, which could weigh on the forward power prices behind its Texas earnings.

• Letter to the PUC and ERCOT dated August 3, 2026
• Audit covers data centers' water use, tax breaks, cooling and ownership
• ERCOT postponed the Batch Zero study that was due August 7
• ERCOT is considering requests for about 474 GW, mostly data centers, more than five times its record peak demand