PRESS RELEASE
Georgia Republican leadership in minority as Texas Gov. Abbott endorses Data Center moratorium
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 2026
Georgia Republican leadership in minority as Texas Gov. Abbott endorses Data Center moratorium
Georgia Republicans out-of-step with voters, and now their own colleagues.
(Atlanta, Georgia) – According to reports from The Texas Tribune and confirmed by Atlanta-based law firm Troutman Pepper Locke, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott - a staunch conservative - declared a moratorium on data center approvals this week and directed the state’s Public Utility Commission to audit all proposals to ensure grid reliability and protect residents. The moratorium follows New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s as the second in the nation. Georgia Democratic Gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms believes we should pause data center development and study the impact, a position with which Commissioner Hubbard agrees. Georgia Republican Gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson is himself a Texas data center investor, and it remains unclear what the implications are for his personal investment.
“Much like our own state, Texas rolled out the red carpet for data centers, but now they are pumping the brakes,” said Georgia Public Service Commissioner Peter Hubbard (D), currently running for re-election. “The scope of this buildout deserves real scrutiny because we are massively expanding fossil power generation for data centers at great cost and risk to ratepayers. Georgians can’t afford us getting this wrong.”
Per Troutman Pepper Locke, the requested audit of Texas data center projects is to include tax incentives received by each project, power use and generation plans, water use and cooling operations, efforts to mitigate impacts on surrounding communities, and facility ownership and control. The GOP-controlled Texas State Legislature is expected to take up the issue in 2027 with Gov. Abbott’s backing, with the Public Utilities Commission of Texas lobbying for greater power to regulate data centers.
The length of the moratorium is unstated and unclear; Abbott’s audit would cover over 1800 projects totaling 5x Texas peak electricity demand. Notably, however, developers can bypass the process if they’re building their own power and not drawing from the grid. Its impact may be felt more politically than anywhere else.
“Texas didn’t take the time to do a comprehensive analysis of the impact this sector would have on residents. Georgia shouldn’t make the same mistake. Rather than trusting in a voluntary ‘ratepayer protection pledge,’ Georgia should create a cross-departmental task force to understand all of the impacts of proposed facilities. Not just how they’ll affect us financially, but also our quality of life, water scarcity, public health impacts, environmental side effects, and more,” said Commissioner Hubbard. He continued,
“I am glad to see Georgia Power leading on data center load flexibility, which helps to reduce the build-out of infrastructure, but people are hurting right now and power bills are a big reason for that. Georgia is the seventh most financially distressed state in the country according to WalletHub. We cannot afford to get this wrong.”