The Data Center Debate

By state

Data centers in Texas

63 data centers and projects on our map in Texas, including 16 projects we track in detail. Each one links to its source. Below: where they are by county, the projects in the news, and the latest reporting from both sides.

49existing and up and running 4under construction 8proposed 2blocked, paused or withdrawn

See Texas on the map. Existing facilities come from OpenStreetMap, a community-maintained public map that is incomplete; proposed, under construction and blocked projects are tracked one by one from news, filings and official records.

Projects in the news

Blocked, paused or withdrawn Council voted unanimously in August 2026 to begin a 90 day moratorium taking effect February 2027

Fort Worth Data Center Moratorium

Fort Worth, Tarrant County

Fort Worth City Council started the process for a 90 day pause on data center rezoning and permit decisions while staff study noise, water supply and land use compatibility. The zoning commission had rejected an earlier draft ordinance, and residents organized against projects proposed in south Fort Worth.

Issues raised: noise, water, power, zoning, opposition

Source: Fort Worth Report, 2026-08-12 · On the map

Blocked, paused or withdrawn Council voted 4 to 3 on June 16, 2026 to make data centers ineligible in every zoning district

San Marcos Citywide Data Center Prohibition

San Marcos, Hays County

San Marcos became the first Texas city to prohibit data centers citywide, writing them out of its development code after rejecting a rezoning bid earlier in 2026. Council members cited water and energy demands on the local community, and Hays County separately paused data center approvals.

Issues raised: water, power, zoning, opposition

Source: The Texas Tribune, 2026-06-30 · On the map

Proposed Clean air permit granted February 2026, early phases only, first gigawatt targeted for late 2026

Project Matador, HyperGrid Campus

Amarillo, Potter County · Operator: Fermi America

11000 MW · announced 2025-06-26

A proposed 5,800 acre campus on Texas Tech University System land that would pair up to 11 gigawatts of on site nuclear, gas, solar and wind generation with about 18 million square feet of data centers. It would be the largest combined energy and computing complex announced in the United States, and construction paused in early 2026 while the company waited on its state air permit.

Issues raised: power, water, jobs, transmission, air-pollution

Source: KFDA NewsChannel 10, 2026-02-25 · On the map

Proposed Announced July 2026, construction expected to begin late 2026

Childress AI Data Center Campus

Childress, Childress County · Operator: Crusoe and Lancium

1000 MW · announced 2026-07-15

A grid connected AI data center campus of about 270 acres in the Texas Panhandle, with Lancium developing the site energy infrastructure. Backers cite construction jobs and long term tax base in a small rural county.

Issues raised: power, jobs, transmission

Source: Crusoe, 2026-07-15 · On the map

Proposed confirmed by county judge October 9 2026; construction targeted for 2027

Desert Haven Data Center Campus

Sierra Blanca, Hudspeth · Operator: Kaufman and Company

350 MW · $15 billion · announced 2026-10-09

A Kaufman and Company led partnership, including ServerDomes Global, has told Hudspeth County it plans a 24,000 acre campus near Desert Haven with on site electricity generation and 350 megawatts of load. The developer said water will be drawn only once at startup and that no tax abatement is being requested.

Issues raised: power, water, jobs, zoning

Source: KVIA ABC-7 El Paso, 2026-10-09 · On the map

Proposed City commission voted Sept 2, 2026 to draft a 90-day moratorium ordinance on data center rezoning and permits.

Brownsville Data Center Moratorium

Brownsville, Cameron

announced 2026-09-02

Brownsville commissioners directed staff to draft a temporary 90-day pause on new rezoning and permit applications for high-intensity data processing facilities. The move follows Governor Abbott's statewide audit of pending data center grid requests.

Issues raised: zoning, power, opposition

Source: MyRGV, 2026-09-02 · On the map

Proposed Announced 2026, construction not started

CyrusOne Medina County Campus

Hondo, Medina County · Operator: CyrusOne

$500 million · announced 2026-08

A proposed CyrusOne data center campus west of San Antonio reported at about 500 million dollars. Medina County sits over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, which has made water the leading local concern for new data center projects in the region.

Issues raised: water, power, zoning, jobs

Source: Data Center Knowledge, 2026-08 · On the map

Proposed Four building campus disclosed in 2026, construction not started

Project Eagle

Wharton, Wharton County · Operator: Amazon Web Services

announced 2026-08

Amazon disclosed plans for a four building data center campus in Wharton County, southwest of Houston. It is one of several new Texas campuses announced in 2026, and local questions center on ERCOT grid capacity and groundwater.

Issues raised: power, water, transmission, jobs

Source: Data Center Knowledge, 2026-08 · On the map

Proposed state filings submitted October 2, 2026; Kent County commissioners tabled tax reinvestment zone vote

Project Hyper, Jayton Campus

Jayton, Kent · Operator: Crusoe

$4.8 billion · announced 2026-10-02

Crusoe filed notices with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on October 2 for two 759,260 square foot buildings in Jayton, Kent County, listed as spur sites of Project Hyper and tied to a combined investment of $4.8 billion. The filings say construction will start in January 2027 and the buildings will use closed-loop cooling.

Issues raised: power, water, zoning, transmission

Source: Data Center Dynamics, 2026-10-02 · On the map

Proposed Annexation agreement approved 5 to 0 on 2026-10-09

Taylor Technology Campus

Taylor, Williamson · Operator: Big Watt Digital and PowerHouse Data Centers

announced 2026-10-09

A 664 acre data center and on site power plant proposed outside Taylor, Texas, previously known as Project Mustang. Taylor approved annexation and a city regulatory agreement with the developers, with about $28.2 million in community investments.

Issues raised: power, water, air-pollution, noise, zoning, jobs

Source: KUT, 2026-10-09 · On the map

Under construction Broke ground 2026, first building due late 2026

Vantage Frontier Campus

Albany, Shackelford County · Operator: Vantage Data Centers for OpenAI and Oracle

1400 MW · announced 2025-09

A 1,200 acre Stargate campus planned for 10 single story data centers totaling about 1.4 gigawatts northeast of Abilene. Supporters point to more than 5,000 construction and operations jobs, while critics focus on the power draw in a rural county.

Issues raised: power, jobs, transmission, water

Source: Data Center Dynamics · On the map

Under construction Under construction with operations expected 2028

Meta El Paso Campus

El Paso, El Paso County · Operator: Meta with BlackRock

1000 MW · $14 billion · announced 2025-10

A one gigawatt Meta campus in the Chihuahuan Desert financed through a venture with BlackRock, with more than 2,000 workers on site and a filing to add twelve more buildings. Water supply in an arid border city and the size of the local incentive package are the main points of contention.

Issues raised: water, power, tax-incentives, jobs

Source: CNBC, 2026-07-28 · On the map

Under construction Construction plans filed; targeted start late November 2026

Project Longhorn

Cedar Creek, Bastrop · Operator: Pacifico Energy and BlackChamber Group

$366 million · announced 2026-10-06

A $366 million, 498,165 square foot data center campus in Cedar Creek, Texas, reportedly in talks to be leased by Anthropic. The project cleared the statewide pause on environmental permit approvals ordered by Governor Abbott.

Issues raised: power, water, zoning

Source: Community Impact, 2026-10-06 · On the map

Under construction Construction under way on a former industrial site

Stargate Milam County

Rockdale, Milam County · Operator: OpenAI with SB Energy

$3 billion · announced 2025-09

One of five Stargate sites announced in September 2025, located on a former aluminum smelter and crypto mining site in central Texas. Local debate centers on the tax abatement package and on how much new generation the campus will require.

Issues raised: power, tax-incentives, jobs

Source: Austin American-Statesman · On the map

Operating First buildings energized September 2025, remaining buildings still in construction

Stargate Abilene, Lancium Clean Campus

Abilene, Taylor County · Operator: Crusoe, Oracle and OpenAI

200 MW · announced 2025-01

The first Stargate site went live in September 2025 when Crusoe energized two buildings with more than 200 megawatts running Oracle cloud infrastructure for OpenAI workloads. The full plan is an eight building campus of about four million square feet and roughly 1.2 gigawatts, making it the leading example of AI scale power demand landing in a single Texas county.

Issues raised: power, water, transmission, jobs, tax-incentives

Source: Crusoe, 2025-09-30 · On the map

Operating Operating cluster in Westover Hills with more buildings in progress

Microsoft San Antonio Data Center Campus

San Antonio, Bexar County · Operator: Microsoft

Microsoft has built a growing group of data centers in the Westover Hills area of west San Antonio and is adding capacity nearby in Bexar and Medina counties. Local coverage has focused on water demand over the Edwards Aquifer, and Microsoft has funded protection of more than 1,500 acres in the aquifer recharge zone in response.

Issues raised: water, power, tax-incentives, jobs

Source: San Antonio Report · On the map

By county

  • Bastrop 1 on the map
    Project Longhorn
  • Bexar County 1 on the map
    Microsoft San Antonio Data Center Campus
  • Cameron 1 on the map
    Brownsville Data Center Moratorium
  • Childress County 1 on the map
    Childress AI Data Center Campus
  • El Paso County 1 on the map
    Meta El Paso Campus
  • Hays County 1 on the map
    San Marcos Citywide Data Center Prohibition
  • Hudspeth 1 on the map
    Desert Haven Data Center Campus
  • Kent 1 on the map
    Project Hyper, Jayton Campus
  • Medina County 1 on the map
    CyrusOne Medina County Campus
  • Milam County 1 on the map
    Stargate Milam County
  • Potter County 1 on the map
    Project Matador, HyperGrid Campus
  • Shackelford County 1 on the map
    Vantage Frontier Campus
  • Tarrant County 1 on the map
    Fort Worth Data Center Moratorium
  • Taylor County 1 on the map
    Stargate Abilene, Lancium Clean Campus
  • Wharton County 1 on the map
    Project Eagle
  • Williamson 1 on the map
    Taylor Technology Campus

Latest news from Texas

Supports the case for local October 11, 2026

Casa Grande and Taylor council votes show two Sun Belt cities approving large campuses despite backlash elsewhere

Taylor, Texas, approved a development agreement and annexation on October 9 for the up to 1 gigawatt Taylor Technology Campus by PowerHouse Data Centers and Big Watt Digital, which will be powered by an on-site natural gas plant. In Casa Grande, Arizona, the planning commission on October 1 approved a conditional use permit for the 954 acre Grande Valley campus with a water cap of 300 acre feet and fuel cells for primary power.

Commercial Property Executive Jobs Local property tax revenue Water use Air quality and on-site power

Check it: Approval of a development agreement is not a construction start, and both campuses rely on on-site fossil generation that triggers separate air permits.

Cited by both sides company October 9, 2026

Hudspeth County, Texas confirms $15 billion proposed data center near Desert Haven

County Judge Joanna MacKenzie confirmed a planned $15 billion data center on roughly 24,000 private acres in the Desert Haven area, backed by Los Angeles based Kaufman and Company with other partners. The developer told the county the facility would generate its own electricity, take water only once at startup, and bring 800 construction jobs over four to five years and 200 to 300 permanent jobs. MacKenzie said she had very little information before the plan was confirmed and that the developer will present at a public meeting on October 27.

KVIA ABC-7 El Paso Jobs Siting, zoning and standards Water use

Check it: Numbers are from the developer, not independent review; Hudspeth County has limited staff to verify power, water and job claims.

Supports the case for local October 9, 2026

Taylor City Council approves annexation of 664 acre data center campus

Taylor's five council members unanimously approved an annexation agreement for the Taylor Technology Campus, a 664 acre data center and on site power plant proposed by Big Watt Digital and PowerHouse Data Centers. The deal gives the city regulatory authority over water, noise and air quality and includes about $28.2 million in community investments. Officials project $1.38 billion in city tax revenue over 20 years.

KUT Local property tax revenue Jobs Siting, zoning and standards Air quality and on-site power

Check it: The 20 year tax projection assumes the full campus is built and valued as modeled; cash flow depends on phasing.

Supports the case for company October 6, 2026

Project Longhorn data center clears Texas permit pause in Bastrop County

Developers filed construction plans for a $366 million data center campus in Cedar Creek, Texas, after the project cleared Governor Abbott's statewide pause on environmental permit approvals. The 498,165 square foot facility is reportedly in talks to be leased by Anthropic. Construction is targeted for late November with completion by January 2028.

Community Impact Laws, bills and regulation Siting, zoning and standards

Check it: An Anthropic lease is reported, not confirmed by Anthropic in filings; project still needs local approvals and utility connections.

Cited by both sides legal October 6, 2026

Texas Public Utility Commission sues Attorney General Paxton to block release of records showing data center locations

The PUC filed suit in Travis County asking a judge to block the release of records identifying where data centers and crypto operations are located, arguing the information is critical infrastructure that could aid terrorists. The AG's office had ordered disclosure under the state open records law. The case comes as Governor Abbott has directed TCEQ to halt new permits and ordered reviews of water and power use.

Texas Tribune Secret contracts and disclosure Siting, zoning and standards

Check it: A ruling here will set a precedent for whether the public can know where large electricity and water users are located; the terrorism justification is contested by open government groups.

Supports the case for company October 2, 2026

Crusoe files for $4.8 billion two-building data center campus in Jayton, Texas

Crusoe filed state notices on October 2 for two 759,260 square foot data center buildings along Country Road 233 in Jayton, Kent County, Texas, with a combined investment described as $4.8 billion and construction set to begin in January 2027. The buildings are described as spur sites of Project Hyper and the filings say they will use closed-loop cooling.

Data Center Dynamics How much electricity data centers use Water use Jobs

Check it: The $4.8 billion is a developer filing figure, not spent capital, and Texas's state permit freeze on data centers is still in effect. Check whether the Kent County commissioners approve a tax reinvestment zone, which they tabled on October 2.

Supports the case for company October 1, 2026

Blackstone's QTS, NextEra and Siemens Energy launch Texas coalition to counter data center opposition

The Lone Star Infrastructure Coalition launched in Houston with QTS, NextEra Energy, Siemens Energy, the Nuclear Energy Institute, Lancium and Quanta Services, and said it will press the economic case for data center and power projects to residents, mayors and county officials. The group is led by former Texas Public Utility Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty and formed as ERCOT works through a wave of interconnection requests that the group's own materials describe as dominated by data centers.

Crypto Briefing Jobs Local opposition and consent AI race and national security

Check it: This is an industry funded advocacy group, so job and investment numbers it circulates should be read as sourced from member companies.

Cited by both sides company September 25, 2026

Woodway Energy plans 22 mile natural gas pipeline for undisclosed behind the meter data center

Woodway Energy Infrastructure announced definitive agreements to build a 22 mile, 30 inch natural gas pipeline in Goliad County, Texas dedicated to a behind the meter power plant serving an undisclosed hyperscale data center. Commercial service is targeted for the first half of 2028, subject to regulatory approvals.

Data Center Dynamics Who holds the risk Air quality and on-site power How much electricity data centers use

Check it: Behind the meter arrangements can reduce reliance on the shared grid but also route air emissions permitting through state and local agencies rather than PJM style processes, and the tenant is not disclosed.

Supports the case against legal September 24, 2026

Texas attorney general opens water reporting probe into hundreds of data centers

Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into whether Texas data centers are meeting state water use reporting requirements, spanning 18 counties including Harris, Travis, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Midland and El Paso. State surveys previously drew responses from only 17 percent of the 341 operating Texas data centers. The action follows Governor Greg Abbott directing TCEQ to halt new data center permits pending an ERCOT audit.

Bloomberg Water use Secret contracts and disclosure Laws, bills and regulation

Check it: This is an investigation, not a filed enforcement action; details on penalties or subpoenas are not yet public.

Cited by both sides news September 23, 2026

Texas data center backlash reshapes 2026 gubernatorial and Senate races

CNBC reported that data centers have emerged as a swing issue in Texas's 2026 statewide races, with candidates from both parties positioning against unchecked expansion and Governor Greg Abbott directing TCEQ on September 21 to halt data center permits pending an audit. Some strategists argue the issue could help Democrats compete statewide for the first time since 1994; others say Abbott's moves lock down Republican voters concerned about water, noise and utility bills.

CNBC Local opposition and consent Laws, bills and regulation AI race and national security

Check it: Whether polling continues to show data centers as a top voter issue and how audit results affect the November race.

Supports the case for policy September 22, 2026

Texas PUC softens data center interconnection fee structure in final rule

The Public Utility Commission of Texas adopted final large load interconnection standards for ERCOT that removed a proposed non refundable fee of 50,000 dollars per megawatt, halved the financial security deposit from 100,000 dollars to 50,000 dollars per megawatt, and set a flat 100,000 dollar study fee for all large load customers. The rules apply to loads above 75 megawatts. Consumer advocates argued the softened terms weaken protections against speculative interconnection requests; industry groups had asked for the reductions.

Utility Dive Laws, bills and regulation Capacity prices and grid costs Who pays for the grid buildout

Check it: Whether the rule survives any pending appeals and how ERCOT applies the fee structure to existing queued projects.

Supports the case against policy September 21, 2026

Abbott directs TCEQ to halt all data center environmental permits

Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to suspend action on all data center environmental permits until ERCOT and the Texas Water Development Board complete audits of the sector, expanding earlier grid and water directives into a statewide, multi agency pause. Data centers seeking to move forward must satisfy conditions covering electric infrastructure costs, water conservation, and setback compliance, with a compliance report due to the governor by October 19.

Office of the Texas Governor Laws, bills and regulation Siting, zoning and standards Water use Capacity prices and grid costs

Check it: The order is an executive directive to TCEQ, not a change to statute, and its scope depends on how TCEQ implements it for pending applications.

Supports the case against news September 21, 2026

Abbott pauses data center permits as reelection polls tighten

CBS Texas frames the September 21 directive as part of a series of Abbott moves in 2026, from a June requirement that data centers fully fund their own electric infrastructure to August audits and September water survey enforcement. Industry groups have signaled worries that the pause could push announced Texas projects to other states, while opposition groups say the audits are overdue.

CBS News Texas Laws, bills and regulation Siting, zoning and standards Local opposition and consent

Check it: The moratorium is a temporary pause tied to agency audits, not a permanent ban, and existing permitted projects continue to operate.

Supports the case against policy September 21, 2026

Texas governor tells environmental agency to stop issuing data center permits

Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to pause all data center permits until ERCOT and the Texas Water Development Board finish audits of the industry's electricity and water use. Supporters of the order say it forces data centers to pay their own way and protects consumers, while industry groups warn the pause could deter investment. TCEQ must report on compliance by October 19.

Texas Tribune Laws, bills and regulation Who pays for the grid buildout Water use

Check it: Confirm the scope of the pause, whether it applies to already-permitted projects, and how long the audits are expected to take.

Cited by both sides news September 20, 2026

60 Minutes examines data center pushback in rural Texas

CBS 60 Minutes broadcast a segment with correspondent Norah O'Donnell reporting from rural Texas on residents and county officials pushing back against fast-tracked AI data center campuses. The piece features a Texas county commissioner saying developers tried to "razzle dazzle" without disclosing specifics, and industry voices arguing the projects bring tax base and infrastructure.

CBS News Local opposition and consent Secret contracts and disclosure AI race and national security

Check it: 60 Minutes is a broadcast news segment, not a survey. Individual county experiences do not necessarily reflect state-level policy outcomes.

Supports the case against local September 16, 2026

Brownsville, Texas commissioners advance 90-day moratorium on data center rezoning and permits

Brownsville commissioners approved a resolution directing the city manager to draft an ordinance imposing a temporary 90-day moratorium on new rezoning or permit applications for high-intensity data processing facilities while staff study standards. The action follows Governor Greg Abbott's August 2026 statewide audit of pending data center interconnection requests.

MyRGV Local opposition and consent Siting, zoning and standards Laws, bills and regulation

Check it: The commissioners directed the drafting of an ordinance; final adoption still requires a follow-up vote.

Supports the case against policy September 14, 2026

Abbott orders Texas Water Development Board to penalize data centers that skip water-use surveys

Governor Greg Abbott directed the Texas Water Development Board to use its enforcement authority against data centers and other large users that fail to file the state's mandatory water-use survey. The order refers uncooperative operators for possible criminal prosecution and directs the TCEQ to block related permit renewals, with an enforcement report due to the governor by October 14.

Texas Tribune Water use Secret contracts and disclosure Laws, bills and regulation

Check it: Whether any operator has actually been penalized versus put on notice, and how much of the missing data is from data centers specifically as opposed to other large water users.

Weighing it up

For the arguments behind these fights, see the case for data centers, the case against, and the questions people ask, each answered from both sides.