404 Media reported on 19 October that two nonprofits, Public Citizen and FracTracker Alliance, found signs of continued work on data center permits in Texas. They used the public database of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Governor Greg Abbott told the agency on 21 September to pause such permits. Public Citizen counted more than 15 projects with activity since then. FracTracker counted 35. Abbott's office told 404 Media that no permits have been approved.
Several things are clear from the records 404 Media reviewed. Twelve of 14 applications for gas plants and generators were filed in October, and TCEQ used a fast review for eight. One Irving project was sent for fast review on 6 October. An engineer finished the first check two days later. Other facts are unsettled. 404 Media said some permits may predate the pause. TCEQ did not answer why some stormwater projects show as "approved". FracTracker's Sam Law said those entries come from a generic permit that firms join by filing a notice. The sources give no date for the end of the pause.
Texas has 300 data centers running, 100 under construction and 200 planned, according to 404 Media. For teams that build, host or buy capacity there, the official pause and the agency's own records now point in different directions. Permit status in the state is disputed.