Texas Attracts Megawatts Faster Than It Can Write the Rules to Manage Them

Medina County can't even compel datacenter developers to disclose their identity or water plans, yet eight billion-dollar-scale facilities are landing on top of the Edwards Aquifer, with operators gaining water access simply by purchasing property. That's the sharpest example of a statewide pattern: SB 6 rulemaking is still grinding through public comment on how remote disconnection and cost-shifting will actually work, while Crusoe Energy warns that ambiguous rules could impose 180-day delays on its 1.2 GW Stargate campus in Abilene. A $42 million DOE-funded project at UT Arlington offers a longer-term release valve, targeting a proof of concept by mid-2026 that would slash cooling energy from 40% of facility load to under 5%, easing both power and water pressure if it scales. The common thread isn't that Texas can't solve these problems; it's that the load is arriving now and the rules, resources, and technology won't be ready at the same time.