Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law in June that empowers the state’s grid operator to remotely disconnect data centers and other large energy users if the grid is under extreme stress. The so-called “kill switch” is just one aspect of the wide-ranging state legislation meant to govern the growing number of energy-intensive supercomputer warehouses being planned and built out across the state.

The legislation comes as Texas, like other states across the country, tries to balance remaining an attractive place to do business for the booming data center industry while addressing the challenges that come with the huge amounts of electricity the facilities demand, especially when grid capacity has been maxed out by extreme summer heat or freezing winter storms.

Much of the legislation around

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