Developers have discovered East Texas for the same reasons families love it: water, land and room. From Lufkin's old paper mill to the old plywood mill at Bon Wier, from Cedar Creek Lake to the Neches River, these projects share the same rivers and the same aquifer.
Compiled by Grail Systems from news reports and public records. Checked Oct 31, 2026. Corrections welcome.
Former Southland Paper Mill on State Highway 103 East. About 1,041 acres, expandable to 4,000, targeting 245 MW and scaling to 2.1 GW. Asked the City of Lufkin for about 20 million gallons a day. See Angelina County Watch.
A data center on Ben Dunn Road with five on-site wells, and WattBridge's 600 MW gas plant near Kurth Lake. ERCOT also lists a second 600 MW Longleaf plant and a 202 MW battery project.
About 1,400 to 1,600 acres at the former L-P Plywood mill on the Sabine River, now marketed to data centers. A July 2026 release announced a deal with a data center developer; the owner then said no sale or deal was made. See Newton County Watch.
A $16 billion natural gas generation hub with a data center to follow. Residents fear for Lake Palestine and the Neches River.
Would have drawn up to 5 million gallons a day from Cedar Creek Lake. Withdrawn July 2026. See Henderson County Watch.
The City of Tyler denied the rezoning in July 2026.
An AI data center at the I-30 megasite in Hooks, and Project Big Pine at the TexAmericas Center.
Residents begin organizing.
Data center development in Henderson County halts.
A data center deal is announced for the Bon Wier mill site, then denied by the owner.
The Governor orders a grid audit and a TCEQ permit pause.
1:30 p.m., Kurth Lake Lodge.
They come with power lines, water rights, rail and industrial history. Watch every closed mill in your county.
The Angelina feeds the Neches. What happens upstream reaches everyone downstream, so neighboring counties should work together.
Cedar Creek Lake was saved when the water district paused new commitments.
Contract terms any county can ask for. See /standards.
Angelina County records and ERCOT data (via Angelina County Watch); KJAS (July 31, 2026); The Center Square; Tyler Morning Telegraph (July 24, 2026); Texas Tribune; More Than Just Parks tracker.