Google and Intersect have announced construction of the Meitner Energy Center, a landmark data infrastructure project spanning Gray and Roberts Counties in the Texas Panhandle. The development centres on a hyperscale data center built directly alongside more than a gigawatt of wind, solar, and battery storage systems, a configuration Intersect describes as a “power first” model. Rather than connecting to the existing grid and drawing from shared regional supply, the Meitner facility will come online paired with dedicated clean energy capacity, with the majority of its power draw met by renewables from Day One and a minority share supported by on-site gas firming for reliability. The data center will form part of Google’s global infrastructure network, which underpins Search, Gmail, Maps, Google Cloud, and critical public services including online banking and 911 systems. The announcement follows Google’s completed acquisition of Intersect in March 2026 and builds on the two companies’ first joint project in Haskell County, where a 640 MW solar and 1.3 GWh storage facility is already entering operations this month alongside a Google data center that has recently begun construction. To support the Meitner build, Google is establishing the Caprock Workforce Hub, an 800-acre managed residential facility in Wheeler County capable of accommodating up to 3,500 construction workers, with on-site amenities and dedicated transport to minimise pressure on local roads and community infrastructure.

Texas at the Centre of the AI Infrastructure Surge

The Meitner Energy Center arrives at a defining moment for data center development across Texas, which has emerged as the dominant destination for hyperscale AI infrastructure investment in the United States. Google’s broader Texas programme now spans data center campuses in Ellis County at Midlothian and Red Oak, and active construction in Armstrong, Haskell, and Wilbarger Counties, all underpinned by a stated $40 billion investment commitment through 2027. The co-location model underpinning Meitner distinguishes it from conventional builds and responds directly to mounting criticism over the grid burden imposed by large-scale AI facilities. By pairing dedicated generation with compute demand, the project avoids passing infrastructure costs onto residential ratepayers, a concern that has grown acute as Texas grid operators manage record power demand. Elsewhere in the state, Nexus Data Centers is advancing a 2,800-acre campus for Anthropic valued at more than $5 billion, with Google providing financial backing to improve credit ratings for the project’s construction loan. The convergence of these projects underscores Texas’ position as the nerve centre of the US AI buildout, drawing on the state’s deep energy infrastructure, large land availability, and relatively permissive regulatory environment. Intersect, which holds $15 billion of assets in operation or under construction nationally, represents a new class of developer purpose-built to serve this demand, and the Meitner project is its most visible deployment yet alongside a Tier One hyperscaler.

Project Fact Sheet

• Project Name: Meitner Energy Center
• Location: Gray and Roberts Counties, Texas, United States
• Project Value: Part of Google’s $40 billion Texas investment commitment through 2027; total site investment not individually disclosed
• Client / Owner: Google LLC
• Developer / Energy Partner: Intersect
• Key Components: Hyperscale data center co-located with more than 1 GW of wind, solar, and battery storage; on-site gas firming; air-cooling system
• Cooling Technology: Advanced air-cooling; water consumption limited to small-scale domestic use only
• Workforce Facility: Caprock Workforce Hub, 800-acre residential facility in Wheeler County for up to 3,500 construction workers
• Community Investment: $10 million Texas Water Impact Fund for community water infrastructure
• Construction Start: June 2026
• Jobs Impact: Each data center job generates an estimated nine additional jobs in the local community
• Strategic Impact: Part of Google’s multi-site Texas data center expansion; flagship deployment of Intersect’s power-first co-location model

Project Team

• Client / Owner: Google LLC
• Energy Infrastructure Partner: Intersect
• Regional Affairs Lead: Andrew Hart, Regional Head of Data Center Public Affairs, Google
• Community Engagement Lead: Elizabeth Knowles, Head of Community Engagement, Intersect
• Local Government Body: Gray County (Judge Chris Porter); Wheeler County leadership
• Regulatory Authority: Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)
• Water Initiative Partners: Texan by Nature; Texas Water Trade
• Education and Community Partner: Pampa Independent School District; Texas 4-H Foundation; The Well STEAM and Literacy Center
• Likely Construction Contractor: Expected to be shortlisted from major US data center construction firms such as Turner Construction, Whiting-Turner, or Mortenson