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PUC Water Survey (Project No. 59281)
PUC Water Survey (Project No. 59281)
Directive Issued Feb 6, 2026: On Feb 6, 2026 the Texas PUC convened an open meeting to address data centers. News reports confirm the PUC agreed to issue a survey this spring to all data centers and crypto-mining facilities, though no permanent rule was adopted. (This effort corresponds to PUC Docket 59281, created per the state budget rider.) The session was convened as a “policy directive” rather than formal rulemaking. The PUC will request data, but under state budget authority it has signaled it will “require” (i.e. mandate) the survey response.
Voluntary or Mandatory: Public reports (PUC statements and media) treat it as mandatory: data centers “will have six weeks to respond” once the survey is sent. There is no indication companies can legally refuse – it was directed by statute. However, the PUC did not enact a rule to enforce penalties. In practice, the survey is framed as an obligation under state law, not merely voluntary
Survey Scope (Questions)
Survey Scope (Questions)
Reported Metrics: Sources agree the survey will ask about direct water use, cooling technology, and power sources. The San Antonio Current summarizes that PUC staff “worked with the Texas Water Development Board on questions to include total water usage, tower cooling methods, and power sources”. Similarly, the NGWA notes the PUC will collect “direct water usage, each site’s cooling technologies, and which power plants provide electricity” for indirect use. A Houston Chronicle report confirms the survey covers both direct and indirect water use (to capture on-site cooling and off-site generation needs)
Cooling Technology Detail: Both reports specify “tower cooling methods” (evaporative vs. dry). In other words, the survey explicitly asks whether each facility uses evaporative cooling towers (which consume lots of water) or air-cooled (dry) systems. This aligns with the budget rider’s intent to study water-intensive practices.
Timing: This is slated for “Spring 2026”, soon after the directive. This matches the GA rider (Chapter 5, Article IX of the Appropriations Act) which directs the PUC to collect this data in 2026.
Dr. Robert Mace’s Testimony (Feb 10, 2026)
Dr. Robert Mace’s Testimony (Feb 10, 2026)
“95% Unsustainable” Figure: In his testimony, Dr. Mace stated that “95% of the groundwater districts estimate that their future water needs are unsustainable based on today’s use and conditions”. This matches the claim precisely. (He was referring to Desired Future Conditions (DFCs) across Texas, i.e. long-term water planning targets for Groundwater Conservation Districts.) Another summary phrases it as “95% of current DFCs are not sustainable”, but either way the meaning is that the vast majority of districts are projecting deficits.
Testimony Event: Dr. Robert Mace (Texas State Univ., Meadows Center) testified Feb 10, 2026 before the Texas House Committee on Groundwater Management and Conservation. Media and NGWA reports confirm his presence at that hearing.
Scope (State vs Local): The figure is statewide (Texas groundwater districts). Mace did not single out the RGV or specific South Texas districts by name in these reported quotes. However, the RGV lies mostly over the Gulf Coast Aquifer, which is one of the aquifers known to be in serious trouble. The linkage to TX-15 would require mapping those districts; in the hearing Q&A he discussed Texas-wide trends more than local detail.
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