Ground Truth Texas
Data centers, crypto mines and the power plants built to serve them are coming to Texas faster than most towns can learn about them. This map tracks every project we can document, with sources, so no community has to start from zero.
Built and run by Fawn Elizabeth Zion, Grail Systems, with the East Texas Legacy Coalition as founding partner. Data checked Oct 31, 2026.
What's on the map right now
Sources: government records, court filings and published news reports. Every project is labeled by how it is sourced.The big picture
The projects on this map are a fraction of what is coming. The More Than Just Parks tracker counts 466 data centers in Texas as of October 2026: 270 operating, 88 under construction and 108 proposed, each tied to a public source. Our map focuses on the large and contested projects; see their list for the full census.
The state has hit pause
In August 2026 the Governor ordered an audit of every data center in the grid queue, after some ignored a state survey on water and power use. ERCOT paused approvals while the audit runs, expected to finish around December 10, 2026. In September he told TCEQ to suspend data center permits until the grid and water reviews are done.
Water is the blind spot
Until this fall, Texas did not require data centers to report their water use, and the state water plan has not counted them. In September 2026 the Governor ordered the Water Development Board to enforce reporting, but the numbers are not public yet. That is why local agreements, and this map, matter. See every known number side by side.
Watch for savings claims without numbers
Developers often say a design will save billions of gallons, without saying how much it will actually use, or where the water comes from. Ask for the number and the source, in writing.
Low-water designs exist
Google's own reports show its Midlothian campus used 182.3 million gallons of water in 2024. Its air-cooled site in Pflugerville used about 10,000 gallons all year. When a developer says it can't avoid heavy water use, that's a choice, not a law of physics.
The map
Tap a pin for details. Pins sit at the county or nearest documented location, not exact property lines, unless a public record gives the address.
"Announced or reported" means we have not yet found an application, permit or rezoning on file. Tell us if you know of one. See a County Watch page for every county on the map, or what changed lately.
All tracked projects
Search by project, county, company or water source. Tap a project to find it on the map.
Records: government records we hold. Court filings: lawsuits. Reporting: published news that still needs a record behind it.
What governments have tried
What worked, what backfired, and what other counties can learn from it.
How to spot a project early
Developers leave a paper trail long before they announce. Anyone can check these, for free:
State building filings (TDLR)
Any big commercial building in Texas must be registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, with the owner, address, cost and start date. Search the TABS project database by county or city.
The sales tax exemption list (Comptroller)
The Texas Comptroller publishes every data center registered for the state sales tax exemption, with owner and operator names. It is the same exemption the Governor wants repealed.
Air permits (TCEQ)
Turbines and backup generators need air permits. A gas permit on rural land with nothing announced is a red flag.
Grid requests (ERCOT)
ERCOT's large-load reports show how much new power is being requested, and where.
Land records (appraisal districts)
Watch for large parcels bought by unfamiliar LLCs. Big companies often use shell names. Google built in Midlothian as Alamo Mission LLC.
Local agendas
Commissioners court, city council, groundwater district and appraisal board agendas. Look for tax abatements, road closures, water contracts and nondisclosure agreements.
Company announcements
Investor presentations, earnings calls and job postings often name a site before neighbors are told.
See something we're missing?
If a data center, crypto mine or power plant is coming to your county, tell us. Send the county, the company name if you know it, and any link, agenda, permit or photo. We verify everything before it goes on the map, and we never publish private residents' contact information.
Corrections: if anything here is wrong, email us and we will fix it publicly, with the date of the change. See every correction so far.