Texas froze new data center grid hookups back in august. and tuesday's surprise midterm result likely makes that freeze last longer. ERCOT runs the texas grid, and big power users wait in its queue to get connected. that queue is ~474GW (of which ~90% data centers) today ERCOT paused new data center hookups and delayed its first big study batch during an audit due dec 10. governor-elect hinojosa (takes office jan 19) has promised a ban on all data center approvals until lawmakers pass new rules. so it's quite likely that most new texas projects in 2028 get delayed, with some demand moving to other states. most exposed - these are some big Texas sites waiting for approval: - $IREN has a 2GW Sweetwater hub, with 300MW targeted for Q4 2027. - Cipher: a 1GW site, Colchis, targeted for 2028, plus several more sites still under study (SEC deck) - Hut 8 and CleanSpark: a 1GW site, Beacon Point, plus Sealy and Brazoria