The Taylor City Council voted unanimously on October 8 to approve an agreement annexing the 664-acre Taylor Technology Campus, a data center and on-site power project near Austin, Texas. Developers Big Watt Digital and PowerHouse Data Centers plan up to 1 GW of capacity at full build-out, with construction targeted for 2027 through 2029.
Formerly known as Project Mustang, the Taylor Technology Campus will sit east of the city between FM 112 and U.S. 79 in Williamson County. The 20-year agreement gives Taylor authority to regulate water use, noise, setbacks and air quality on land that is currently unincorporated. The vote revived a project that had stalled, because the developers withdrew an earlier annexation and zoning application about two weeks after the planning and zoning commission put it on hold for 90 days in August.
Stalls and restarts are common in hyperscale development, as the $1 billion Licking County data center plans in Ohio show. CRO reported the April 2025 pause as a response to higher costs, including tariff effects. By late February 2026, Microsoft had held groundbreaking ceremonies at its Heath and Hebron sites, and its own Heath construction updates describe site work continuing through July 2026 under general contractor Ames Construction. Microsoft did not say what changed between the pause and the restart.
Taylor Technology Campus Agreement Wins Unanimous Council Vote
The council approved the Taylor Technology Campus agreement over the objections of many residents who attended the meeting. In particular, critics said the deal was negotiated behind closed doors without enough input from the public or from the planning and zoning commission.
City staff said the agreement is the only way for Taylor to oversee the project. Without it, they said, the city would have no authority over a campus that sits in unincorporated Williamson County. Mayor Jim Buzan said the terms represent the best path forward, and that the standards the developers accepted will address concerns about noise, water use and setbacks.
Residents and the group Halt Taylor Data Centers have argued that the Taylor Technology Campus could lead to overindustrialization and strain local water supplies and infrastructure. Meanwhile, Taylor Independent School District Superintendent Jennifer Garcia-Edwardsen told council members that the agreement meets the district’s test of benefiting students, if the project moves forward.
Big Watt Digital Executive Vice President John Stokes acknowledged that a project of this size raises large questions for its host community. In a joint statement, the two companies said the vote reflects a commitment to a responsibly planned campus that aligns with Governor Greg Abbott’s data center standards.
Taylor Technology Campus Plans Up to 1 GW With On-Site Power and Reclaimed Water
At full build-out, the Taylor Technology Campus is planned for 500 MW of data center capacity, with potential for another 500 MW later, according to local reporting. That would take the campus to 1 GW, a level of demand comparable to a large city.
The Taylor Technology Campus will include an on-site power plant alongside the data center buildings. The site has access to fiber, high-voltage transmission and natural gas, which supports behind-the-meter generation, according to trade reporting.
Furthermore, the agreement calls for closed-loop cooling that uses reclaimed water, along with noise limits and property line setbacks. Reporting on the deal says the developers will fund upgrades to Taylor’s reclaimed-water infrastructure and reduce discharges to Mustang Creek.
In addition, the developers will pay for utility lines connecting the campus to Taylor’s systems. They will also withdraw their application to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a wastewater discharge permit.
Construction is targeted for 2027 through 2029, with first power expected in the first half of 2028, according to timelines cited in trade coverage. Groundbreaking is therefore not expected before 2027.
Texas Permit Pause and Economic Projections Frame the Taylor Technology Campus
Governor Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on September 21 to pause the issuance of all permits for data center projects until the Electric Reliability Council of Texas completes an audit. That audit is expected to finish in mid-December 2026. Legal analysis of the order notes that it does not carve out projects with on-site generation.
Reporting at the time of the vote said it was unclear how the order would affect the Taylor Technology Campus. A city spokesperson noted that the developers had withdrawn their discharge permit application.
A study commissioned by the developers estimates about $1.38 billion in tax revenue for Taylor over 20 years and nearly 19,350 temporary construction jobs. Trade coverage also cites a developer estimate of $4.8 billion in economic impact.
The agreement includes about $28.2 million in community investments, including more than $10 million for Taylor Independent School District and local students. Additional funds are earmarked for scholarships, workforce training and nonprofits.
Big Watt and PowerHouse together report 12 GW in active development and more than 24 GW in their pipelines nationwide, according to trade coverage. Big Watt has begun construction on more than 2 GW across Texas and South Dakota, while PowerHouse has about 10 GW across nine markets.
The campus sits in a fast-growing Austin corridor that already hosts Samsung’s nearly completed chip fabrication plant, according to local reporting.
Project Overview
- Project Name: Taylor Technology Campus (formerly Project Mustang)
- Developers: Big Watt Digital and PowerHouse Data Centers
- Location: East of Taylor, Williamson County, Texas, between FM 112 and U.S. 79
- Project Type: Hyperscale data center campus with on-site power generation
- Site Area: 664 acres
- Capacity: 500 MW planned at full build-out, with potential for another 500 MW (up to 1 GW)
- Power Strategy: On-site power plant; site has access to fiber, high-voltage transmission and natural gas
- Cooling and Water: Closed-loop cooling using reclaimed water; developer-funded reclaimed-water upgrades
- Regulatory Framework: 20-year annexation and development agreement approved October 8, 2026
- Community Commitments: About $28.2 million, including more than $10 million for Taylor ISD and students
- Construction Schedule: 2027 to 2029, with first power targeted for the first half of 2028 (developer timeline)
- Economic Impact: About $4.8 billion projected by the developers; about $1.38 billion in city tax revenue over 20 years (developer-commissioned study)
- Construction Jobs: Nearly 19,350 temporary jobs (developer-commissioned study)
- Project Value: Not publicly disclosed
- Main Contractor: Not publicly disclosed
Project Team
Developers
- Developer: Big Watt Digital (South Dakota-based; official website not verified)
- Developer: PowerHouse Data Centers (Virginia-based; official website not verified)
Public Bodies
- Host City: City of Taylor (official website not verified)
- School District Beneficiary: Taylor Independent School District (official website not verified)
- Permitting Agency: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (official website not verified)
- Grid Operator and Audit Body: Electric Reliability Council of Texas (official website not verified)
Contractors and Consultants
- General Contractor: Not yet awarded or not publicly disclosed
- Design Team: Not publicly disclosed
Related Project: Microsoft Licking County Data Centers
- Owner: Microsoft
- General Contractor: Ames Construction
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