Railroad Commission of Texas
06/10/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/10/2026 11:29
Wayne Christian Backs Abbott's Data Center Measures to Protect Texans, Grid Reliability
Wayne Christian Backs Abbott's Data Center Measures to Protect Texans, Grid Reliability
June 10, 2026AUSTIN - Oil and gas regulator Commissioner Wayne Christian today backed Gov. Greg Abbott's directive to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) requiring data centers to bear the full cost of the electricity infrastructure needed to serve them.
"The Texas way is not to answer innovation with government overreach or fear-driven bans," Christian said. "Our job is to protect prosperity, safeguard taxpayers and ensure the infrastructure that powers our economy remains strong and reliable."
"Governor Abbott's measure ensures Texans are not subsidizing the infrastructure costs of energy-intensive new data centers and avoids a ban that would stifle investment and innovation," continued Christian. "Protecting reliability while allowing private investment to flourish is exactly how Texas remains the nation's economic powerhouse."
"Long term, the answer isn't banning data centers-it's building them where the resources already exist. Texas has abundant natural gas and produced water, often treated as liabilities, with gas flared and water injected underground, but with the right investment, they can be transformed into valuable assets. That's good for the grid, good for local communities and good for Texas," concluded Christian.
To view Governor Abbott's release, click here.
About the Railroad Commission:Our mission is to serve Texas by our stewardship of natural resources and the environment, our concern for personal and community safety, and our support of enhanced development and economic vitality for the benefit of Texans. The Commission has a long and proud history of service to both Texas and to the nation, including more than 100 years regulating the oil and gas industry. The Commission also has jurisdiction over alternative fuels safety, natural gas utilities, surface mining and intrastate pipelines. Established in 1891, the Railroad Commission of Texas is the oldest regulatory agency in the state. To learn more, please visit https://www.rrc.texas.gov/about-us/.
Railroad Commission of Texas published this content on June 10, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 10, 2026 at 17:29 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]