Texas Agency Tries To Keep Data Centers Hidden Over Terror Fears

A Texas state agency, the Public Utility Commission (PUC), is attempting to prevent the release of data about the locations of data centers and cryptocurrency mines in the state. The PUC claims that publishing this information could aid terrorists or hostile foreign actors in targeting critical infrastructure. Attorney General Ken Paxton's office previously ruled that the information could be released.

The PUC has now challenged these rulings in court. The legal dispute began with a public-records request by a McLennan County resident and four journalists for the PUC's 2025 survey results. The PUC argued that the data was protected under the Texas Homeland Security Act. However, the Attorney General's Office ruled that the agency had not shown that the records disclosed protected security vulnerabilities.

The PUC seeks to keep confidential the county and regional water-planning information, as it believes these details, when combined with other data, could become sensitive. This information would provide a potential terrorist or hostile foreign actor with details needed for an attack, according to the lawsuit. Texas lawmakers mandated the PUC to gather data on the electricity and water consumption of data centers and cryptocurrency mines to aid state officials in planning for future resource demands as the industry grows.

However, the survey received limited responses, with only 77 data centers and 13 cryptocurrency mining facilities responding out of 377 requested. The expansion of data centers in Texas has sparked opposition due to their high electricity and water usage, as well as concerns about their impact on local communities. This issue has also become a political topic, with Republican Governor Greg Abbott backing stricter regulations on data centers in preparation for his reelection campaign.