PUCT v. Texas AG — data center survey records
Public Utility Commission of Texas v. Office of the Attorney General (Travis County District Court) — PUC Sues to Block Release of Data Center Energy and Water Survey Records (Oct. 2026)
Texas · Public Utility Commission of Texas v. Office of the Attorney General (Tex. Dist. Ct., Travis County 2026)
- Status
- Blocked / in litigation
- Applies to
- PUCT and Office of the Attorney General
- Enforced by
- Travis County District Court, Texas
The Public Utility Commission of Texas has sued the Attorney General's office to stop the release of records from a state survey of data centers and crypto mines. The Attorney General ruled twice that the information, including the county where each facility operates and its water planning area, must be released under the Public Information Act. The commission says combining location with energy and water data would help someone planning an attack.
Who is protected: Public requesters seeking data center records (transparency interest)
Legal detail
Plaintiff: PUCT. Defendant: Office of the Attorney General (Ken Paxton). Court: Travis County district court (Texas Scorecard: 200th District Court). Records: responses to the energy and water use survey sent to 377 facilities in 2025 (90 responded by Aug. 2026) — electricity demand, water use, cooling technology, infrastructure; disputed fields are county and regional water planning area. AG issued two rulings that PUCT had not shown the information identifies technical vulnerabilities covered by the Homeland Security exception; six PIA requests at issue (Scorecard). Context: Gov. Abbott's directive for agency reviews of data center power and water use (see Texas Gov. Abbott data center grid-connection audit freeze). NOT ESTABLISHED: cause number, exact filing date (outlets give inconsistent weekday/date).
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Texas |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Citation | Public Utility Commission of Texas v. Office of the Attorney General (Tex. Dist. Ct., Travis County 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Declaratory/injunctive relief |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · AI disclosure and transparency |
| News report | PUC sues Paxton's office over release of data center records — The Texas Tribune (Oct. 6, 2026) |
More AI rules in Texas
- TX TDI Bulletin B-0003-26 (AI in insurance) · In effect
- Texas Gov. Abbott data center grid-connection audit freeze · In effect
- Texas HB 3512 government AI training mandate (2025) · In effect
- Texas TWDB data center water reporting penalties (2026) · In effect
- Texas Abbott halt on state funding for Flock cameras (2026) · In effect
- Texas AG data center water-reporting investigation (2026) · In effect
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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