Texas Adds 58 GW of Gas in One Year. The Grid May Be the Last to Know.

Behind-the-meter power isn't a workaround anymore; it's becoming the default. Meta's 813 modular gas generators in El Paso, Pacifico Energy's 7.65 GW complex in Pecos County, Chevron's 5 GW West Texas plant: hyperscalers aren't waiting for grid interconnection, and ERCOT can't forecast load it can't see. That's the real risk buried in Texas's 58 GW gas buildout this year, roughly 40 GW of it dedicated to data centers. As the White House floats a voluntary compact on cost allocation and South Carolina debates whether to regulate siting through a new commission, Texas's light-touch approach is pulling investment at a pace that's outrunning the infrastructure meant to support it.