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Texas Data Center Power Demand Soars; South Korea Eyes Gas Power Plant for First Major U.S. Investment

Utilities · Electric Utilities · yonhap_finance · 2026-09-10

As Texas faces massive power demand from data centers, South Korea is considering a major gas-fired power plant project as its first strategic U.S. investment.

What Happened

Surging Power Demand in Texas: The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is currently reviewing grid connection requests totaling 474 GW, with 90% driven by data center projects. This demand is five times greater than the state's historical peak, fueled by major tech companies like OpenAI and Microsoft.

Regulatory Crackdown: Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered a comprehensive audit of all data center projects, effectively halting new grid connections. This regulatory move has prompted the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to lower its national electricity sales growth forecast for 2027.

Strategic Korean Investment: Amidst this energy crunch, South Korea is positioning a $22 billion, 6.3 GW gas-fired power plant in Encinal, Texas, as its inaugural major investment in the U.S. The project is planned to be developed in phases, starting with a 1.4 GW gas turbine.

Future Outlook: Texas authorities are now requiring data centers to disclose detailed information regarding their reliance on the public grid and local infrastructure impact. Despite these hurdles, the region remains a primary driver of U.S. power demand growth.

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