El Paso City Council amends its state legislative agenda to seek protection for residential ratepayers from data center utility costs
On June 23rd, 2026 the El Paso City Council directed the City Manager to amend the city's 90th Session State Legislative Agenda. The amendment adds advocacy for policy protecting residential ratepayers from the utility costs of data centers. The item cites Governor Greg Abbott's June 10th, 2026 letter to Public Utility Commission of Texas Chairman Thomas Gleeson and ERCOT chief executive Pablo Vegas. It also directs the City Manager and City Attorney to determine whether the electric grid El Paso residents use is incorporated under that directive. The motion was made by Representative Fierro, seconded by Representative Chavez, and it carried. El Paso Electric operates in the Western Interconnection, so ratepayer protections built for ERCOT do not reach El Paso customers by default.
How to take part
The city's state legislative agenda is set and amended in open City Council meetings at City Hall, 300 North Campbell Street, and virtually. Matter records and votes are published in the city's Legistar system.
Where
1 county. In El Paso.
Dates
| Date | What | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-16 | filed | Matter 26-0771 introduced |
| 2026-06-23 | ordered | City Council approved the direction to amend the legislative agenda |
The evidence
Every fact above rests on one of these. The words are the source's own.
Discussion and action to direct the City Manager to amend the City of El Paso's 90th Session State Legislative Agenda to include advocacy support for policy related to protecting residential ratepayers from utility costs of data centers as proposed by Governor Greg Abbott's letter to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) Chairman Thomas Gleeson and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) CEO Pablo Vegas on June 10, 2026. Additionally, direct the City Manager and City Attorney to determine - as per Governor Greg Abbott's immediate directive- that the electrical utility grid that the City of El Paso's residents utilize is incorporated.City of El Paso Legistar Web API, Matter 26-0771 Primary source, official
A motion was made by Representative Fierro, seconded by Representative Chávez, to Approve the item. The motion carried by the following vote:City of El Paso Legistar Web API, Matter 26-0771 Histories Primary source, official