Public Utility Commission of Texas
Texas state agency regulating investor-owned electric utilities and overseeing ERCOT grid operations.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas approved ERCOT's first Batch Zero large-load interconnection study process on 18 June 2026, as the connection queue reached 438 GW, roughly 90 per cent of it data-centre load.
Last refreshed: 4 August 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Public Utility Commission of Texas
Received Abbott's directive to audit data-centre projects
Data Centres: Boom and Backlash: Abbott orders a full data centre auditERCOT freezes its 205 GW sorting job
Data Centres: Boom and BacklashTexas queue swells to 438 GW
Data Centres: Boom and BacklashBackground
The Public Utility Commission of Texas regulates investor-owned electric utilities statewide and oversees the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Established in 1975, it is composed of three commissioners appointed by the Governor to staggered six-year terms and confirmed by the Texas Senate. It sets the framework rules for the ERCOT wholesale market and is the final arbiter on interconnection processes, consumer protection and retail electricity competition; because ERCOT sits outside FERC jurisdiction, the commission's decisions on grid access and market structure are binding statewide with no federal appeals PATH.
Electricity and water regulation are the bulk of the commission's REMIT, but data-centre demand has forced a specific procedural response: on 18 June 2026 it approved ERCOT's first Batch Zero large-load interconnection study process, the first formal mechanism for ordering a queue built for 40-50 large loads at a time. The queue stood at 438 GW at approval, about 90 per cent attributable to data centres. The final transmission plan is not due until autumn 2027, so no large-load applicant currently has a confirmed connection date.