Texas may shift grid costs to data centers and Bitcoin miners

Texas is testing a policy shift that could matter for Bitcoin miners as much as AI developers. Governor Greg Abbott has asked the Public Utility Commission and ERCOT to make large data centers pay for the electric infrastructure they need, instead of passing more of those costs to households. For crypto investors, that could change how new mining sites are financed in one of the industry's biggest US power markets.

The state has about 6.5 gigawatts of data center capacity under construction, roughly a fifth of the US pipeline. At the same time, Texas' sales tax break for qualifying facilities is expected to cost about $3.2 billion over the next two years. Abbott's June 10 letter also called for lower residential transmission costs, water-efficient cooling, mandatory reporting on power and water use, and a review of whether the tax exemption should continue.

ERCOT's long-term outlook shows why the debate is heating up. The grid operator recorded a peak of 85,508 megawatts in August 2023, while a preliminary forecast sees peak demand reaching as high as 367,790 megawatts by 2032. Large-load interconnection requests also jumped about 270% in 2025 to roughly 226 gigawatts, with 73% tied to data centers.

Bitcoin miners may still have an edge because they can shut down quickly when the grid is stressed. But new mining projects would still face higher upfront costs if Texas requires all large loads to fund their own connections.