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AUSTIN — 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.