1 GW Data Center Project Advances Near Austin
PowerHouse Data Centers is one of the firms behind this development.
Big Watt Digital and PowerHouse Data Centers have secured approval for the development of Taylor Technology Campus, a hyperscale data center project close to Taylor, Texas. At full build-out, the complex will have up to 1 gigawatt of power capacity.
The campus will rise on roughly 664 acres east of Taylor’s city limits, within the broader Austin, Texas, metro area. Construction is slated to take place between 2027 and 2029, with initial power availability expected in the first half of 2028.
The Taylor city council unanimously approved an economic development agreement with the partnership for this project. Under the agreement, the city will annex the site into its limits while providing for 500 megawatts of power capacity, with the option to add another 500 megawatts, according to Austin American-Statesman. In exchange, the partnership will fund improvements to the city’s reclaimed-water infrastructure while also committing to reduce discharges to Mustang Creek.
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The site has access to major fiber and high-voltage transmission infrastructure, as well as to natural gas resources, providing support for the large-scale, behind-the-meter power generation that will serve the data center facilities.
The 664-acre parcel is between Farm to Market Road 112 and U.S. Route 79, both sitting at the center of one of the fastest-growing technology and logistics corridors in metro Austin. Samsung’s $17 billion semiconductor facility is one of the key drivers behind the area’s growth.
Taylor Technology Campus’ local impact
Taylor Technology Campus will generate nearly $1.3 billion in cumulative gross tax revenue for the city, between 2027 and 2046. The developers also estimate $4.8 billion in economic impact and 19,000 construction-related, full-time jobs across Williamson County.
Big Watt Digital and PowerHouse Data Centers will also commit approximately $28.2 million in local investments, including funds for Taylor Independent School District programs, student scholarships, workforce development programs and nonprofit contributions.
The companies have a combined portfolio of 12 gigawatts in active data center development and a pipeline with more than 24 gigawatts across the U.S. Big Watt has recently started construction on more than 2 gigawatts in Texas and South Dakota, its current pipeline totaling 10 gigawatts.
PowerHouse, the dedicated digital infrastructure and data center development division of American Real Estate Partners, has roughly 10 gigawatts in under-construction and planned projects across nine U.S. markets.
A data center pipeline within and beyond Texas
Apart from Austin, PowerHouse’s Texas portfolio also includes projects in Irving and Grand Prairie.
In March, the operator topped out the first building of its roughly 1 million-square-foot Irving campus, according to Data Center Dynamics. The project, unveiled in 2024, will have a capacity of 200 megawatts at full build-out.
For the Grand Prairie development, PowerHouse partnered with Provident Data Centers. The campus, with a projected capacity of 1.8 gigawatts when complete, is set to become one of the largest such projects in Texas and the U.S.
Elsewhere in the nation, the company joined forces with Pennsylvania Data Center Partners for the development of a $15 billion AI hub in Carlisle, Penn. Known as PAX, the hub will comprise 1.35 gigawatts of power across three campuses totaling 4.2 million square feet.
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