Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called on Gov. Greg Abbott to immediately convene a special session of the Texas Legislature to address the expansion of large-scale data centers. Miller warned that "waiting until the regular session in January could come too late to protect Texas agriculture, rural communities, precious water resources, and the state's electric grid."

Miller said, "Gov. Abbott says he now recognizes the risks posed by unchecked data center expansion, and I'm willing to take him at his word." He added, "But words alone won't protect Texas. If he's serious, he should call a Special Session now."

Miller said recent reports indicate the Electric Reliability Council of Texas could begin approving the next major wave of data center projects, known as Batch Zero, as early as next spring. He noted that by the time the Legislature convenes in January, many projects could already be committed, under construction or positioned to be grandfathered under existing law. "The clock is ticking," Miller said.

Miller asked in his media release, "Is Governor Abbott genuinely committed to slowing this unchecked expansion, or is he sending a signal to data center developers, their investors, and campaign contributors that they still have a window to accelerate projects so they can be grandfathered in before the Legislature has an opportunity to act?"

Miller was defeated in his bid for reelection in the March 3 Republican Primary. He said farmers and ranchers already face enough challenges and "shouldn't also have to compete with some of the wealthiest corporations in the world for water and electricity because state government failed to act when it had the chance." Gov. Greg Abbott has called for more stringent regulations on data center construction in recent weeks.