ERCOT pauses energizing new large data centers and crypto mines until its audit is done
ERCOT told its board that it has paused the energization of new large load data centers and crypto mining facilities. The pause covers sites of 75 MW or more that are not yet connected to the ERCOT system. It lasts until ERCOT completes the verification and audit and the community impact review it began after the Governor's August 3rd, 2026 directive. ERCOT says it will file both reports with the Public Utility Commission of Texas by December 10th, 2026. The update went to the ERCOT board meeting of September 14th and 15th, 2026.
How to take part
ERCOT took the pause administratively and has opened no comment window on it. Its board materials are public, and the two reports will be filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas, where filings are public.
Where
Statewide. This decision applies across Texas rather than to a named county.
Timeline
- hearing
Batch Zero update presented to the ERCOT board
- Today
- administrative deadline
ERCOT's verification report and community impact review report due at the commission
62 days out
How this decision moved
One dated line per check, oldest first. A line that says nothing changed means somebody looked and it had not.
- 2026-10-05
Admitted on ERCOT's own board materials. The pause stands until the audit and the community impact review are done, and both reports are due at the commission by December 10th, 2026.
- 2026-10-08
ERCOT's board update still holds new large data centers and crypto mines off the grid until the audit and the community impact review are done. Both reports are still due at the commission on December 10th, 2026.
The evidence
Every fact above rests on one of these. The words are the source's own.
ERCOT has paused the energization of new Large Load data centers and crypto mining facilities until the completion of the verification and audit and community impact review.ERCOT Board of Directors, Item 14, Batch Zero Update Primary source, official · ercot.com
Paused approvals to energize data centers or virtual currency mining facilities (crypto facilities) that are 75 MW or greater.ERCOT Board of Directors, Item 14, Batch Zero Update Primary source, official · ercot.com
Energization pause impacts Large Load data centers and crypto facilities not yet connected to the ERCOT system.ERCOT Board of Directors, Item 14, Batch Zero Update Primary source, official · ercot.com
ERCOT took immediate actions to address Governor Abbott's August 3, 2026 directive related to the interconnection of data centers and crypto mining loads.ERCOT Board of Directors, Item 14, Batch Zero Update Primary source, official · ercot.com
ERCOT will file the Batch Zero Eligibility Verification Report with the Commission by December 10, 2026.ERCOT Board of Directors, Item 14, Batch Zero Update Primary source, official · ercot.com
ERCOT will file the Community Impact Review Report with the Commission by December 10, 2026.ERCOT Board of Directors, Item 14, Batch Zero Update Primary source, official · ercot.com
Board of Directors Meeting September 14-15, 2026ERCOT Board of Directors, Item 14, Batch Zero Update Primary source, official · ercot.com
Questions about this decision
Answered from the record itself. Every answer is assembled from stored fields, so an answer the record has no basis for is left out rather than guessed.
What is this decision?
ERCOT told its board that it has paused the energization of new large load data centers and crypto mining facilities. The pause covers sites of 75 MW or more that are not yet connected to the ERCOT system. It lasts until ERCOT completes the verification and audit and the community impact review it began after the Governor's August 3rd, 2026 directive. ERCOT says it will file both reports with the Public Utility Commission of Texas by December 10th, 2026. The update went to the ERCOT board meeting of September 14th and 15th, 2026.
Who decides it?
Electric Reliability Council of Texas decides. The record names the deciding body for every entry it carries.
Can the public take part?
ERCOT took the pause administratively and has opened no comment window on it. Its board materials are public, and the two reports will be filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas, where filings are public. No dated public window is on the record. The deciding body is named and reachable.
Where in Texas does it apply?
It is a statewide body's action and it governs the ERCOT region rather than every county.
Has it been decided?
It has been decided. The dates on the item page carry when.
What happens next?
The next dated step is administrative deadline, on December 10th, in 62 days.
When did it start?
The earliest date on its record is September 14th, 2026.
What kind of decision is it?
It is filed under data centers.
What sources back it?
One source backs it. It is primary.
Is it on the ERCOT grid?
Yes. It sits inside the ERCOT interconnection.
When was it last checked?
Every fact on it was last verified against its source on October 8th, 2026.
Cite this
Texas AI Docket, ERCOT pauses energizing new large data centers and crypto mines until its audit is done. Tracked since September 14th, 2026. Last verified October 8th, 2026. https://texasaidocket.com/item/tx-2026-0202/. Reuse permitted under CC BY 4.0 with attribution. The same entry is in the docket JSON as item tx-2026-0202.
Beat
Filed under Data centers, with every other decision on that beat.