Big Law firms in Texas with energy pedigrees are feasting on data center work, as the rapid rise of AI translates into the construction of data centers that have massive needs for power generation. To meet the demand for legal services in data center projects, lawyers at a number of big firms operating in Texas have created working teams across practices.
“In short, what we’ve been doing is all elements of the value chain of the data center,” Bracewell’s Jared Berg told Law.com.
While developing a data center initially involves securing real estate and construction contracts, lining up a power source is key. This year, Texas passed a law to regulate power projects with a goal of making the state’s power grid more reliable.
Bracewell’s Bryan Clark said Texas Senate Bill 6 has a “kill-switch option,” which gives the Electric Reliability Council of Texas or utilities the authority to shut down some power users to preserve the grid.
However, Clark said, “If you have your own generation, you don’t have to shut down.”
