Meta is building a data center campus in Northeast El Paso, near the state line, now described as a $10B, 3.1-million-square-foot buildout. It is one of the few Texas projects with a public water cap, and residents are now pushing for a community benefits agreement.
Compiled by Grail Systems from news reports and public records. Checked Oct 31, 2026. Corrections welcome.
Closed-loop cooling. El Paso Water caps use at 2.5 million gallons a day and expects an average of about 480,000, rising on hot days. Earlier reporting described a 1.5 million gallon maximum. The city's incentive gives an 80% tax cut for 25 years tied to at least 50 permanent jobs; Meta has said it will employ about 300. Land was bought through Wurldwide LLC.
Meta negotiated an incentive package for an $800M initial investment and a water supply agreement with El Paso Water. The city sold the land to Wurldwide LLC for about $8.5M.
Staff were directed to draft one after heavy public comment.
Council voted unanimously to stop recruiting or incentivizing future hyperscale data centers.
The utility said it will hold Meta to the 2.5 million gallon cap.
Adopted unanimously for future projects. It does not apply to Meta, and the council separately voted to keep Meta's incentive deal.
El Paso has one. But a cap five times the expected average leaves a lot of room. Ask for caps close to real need.
A state utility commissioner raised concern that household customers could subsidize the cost of serving the data center.
El Paso is negotiating a community benefits agreement after incentives were granted.
El Paso Matters / Texas Standard (Oct 2025); KFOX14 (2026); KVIA (July 7, 2026); El Paso Inc.; Blockspace; GovTech Insider.