Texas data centers in 2026: planned projects, map, and TCEQ permit requirements.
Texas is the fastest-growing data center market in the United States — and the permit filings prove it. Every project in the pipeline has to clear the same regulatory gauntlet: air permits for backup generators, stormwater authorization for construction, water approvals, and a tougher ERCOT interconnection process for any load over 75 MW.
As of spring 2026, roughly 140 planned data center projects totaling more than 75,000 MW of capacity are in the Texas pipeline, on top of 84 operating facilities. ERCOT is now tracking approximately 410 GW of large-load interconnection requests— nearly five times the state's current peak demand.
The Texas data center boom, by the numbers.
Texas attracts data center developers for the same reasons it attracts power generation: available land, a deregulated energy market, no state income tax, and a development climate that moves faster than Virginia or California.
The growth is concentrated in Dallas–Fort Worth (the state's legacy data center hub), the Austin–San Antonio corridor, Houston, and increasingly West Texas, where cheap land, gas supply, and behind-the-meter generation make gigawatt-scale campuses viable.
Permitted & planned data centers in Texas.
The most recent TCEQ air permit filings matching data center projects — a sample from the live feed, updated as new applications hit the docket.
CLOP TEMPLE TX LLC
ReceivedPBR EXISTING REGISTRATION
- Received
- Jul 27, 2026New
- County
- Bell · Temple
- Permit type
- Permit by Rule
- Project type
- Revision
KMT AZURITE SOLAR LLC
ReceivedSTANDARD PERMIT NEW REGISTRATION
- Received
- Jul 23, 2026New
- County
- Pecos · Imperial
- Permit type
- Standard Permit
- Project type
- Initial
CYRUSONE LLC
ReceivedPBR NEW REGISTRATION
- Received
- Jul 21, 2026New
- County
- Freestone · Fairfield
- Permit type
- Permit by Rule
- Project type
- Initial
HUTTO DATA CENTER CAMPUS LLC
ReceivedPBR EXISTING REGISTRATION
- Received
- Jul 2, 2026
- County
- Williamson · Hutto
- Permit type
- Permit by Rule
- Project type
- Revision
SCHLACHTER REALTY, LTD.
ReceivedHYPERSCALE DATA CENTER DIESEL-FIRED EMERGENCY GENERATOR
- Received
- Jun 19, 2026
- County
- Dallas · Wilmer
- Permit type
- Construction
- Project type
- Initial
| Received | Customer | Project | Permit type | Project type | County | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jul 27, 2026New | CLOP TEMPLE TX LLC | PBR EXISTING REGISTRATION | Permit by Rule | Revision | Bell · Temple | Received |
Jul 23, 2026New | KMT AZURITE SOLAR LLC | STANDARD PERMIT NEW REGISTRATION | Standard Permit | Initial | Pecos · Imperial | Received |
Jul 21, 2026New | CYRUSONE LLC | PBR NEW REGISTRATION | Permit by Rule | Initial | Freestone · Fairfield | Received |
Jul 2, 2026 | HUTTO DATA CENTER CAMPUS LLC | PBR EXISTING REGISTRATION | Permit by Rule | Revision | Williamson · Hutto | Received |
Jun 19, 2026 | SCHLACHTER REALTY, LTD. | HYPERSCALE DATA CENTER DIESEL-FIRED EMERGENCY GENERATOR | Construction | Initial | Dallas · Wilmer | Received |
PermitPulse watches the TCEQ docket daily and emails you when a new data center application is filed in any Texas county.
Texas data center map.
Operating and planned data centers cluster in Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin–San Antonio, Houston, and the emerging West Texas corridor around Abilene, San Angelo, and the Permian Basin.
Set a watch on the counties you care about and get an alert the day a matching TCEQ application appears.
Where Texas data centers are being built
The established hub. Dense fiber, existing substation capacity, and the largest colocation inventory in the state.
Hyperscale growth along I-35; sites over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone face additional TCEQ review (see below).
Industrial power infrastructure and proximity to gas supply.
The frontier for gigawatt-scale AI campuses using behind-the-meter gas generation, led by projects like GW Ranch.
What TCEQ permits are required for data centers in Texas?
A data center itself — servers, racks, chillers — is not an emission source TCEQ regulates. What triggers TCEQ permitting is everything around the servers: backup generators, diesel storage tanks, construction earthwork, cooling water, and wastewater discharge. Here is each permit pathway, in the order a developer typically encounters them.
1Air permits for backup generators
Backup power is the big one. Every data center runs banks of diesel or natural gas generators, and each engine is a regulated air emission source. TCEQ offers four authorization tiers, and which one applies depends on how many engines you have and how you operate them:
Permit by Rule 106.511 (emergency-only generators)
PBR 106.511 ↗ (30 TAC §106.511) authorizes engines and turbines used only for emergency or standby service. It requires no registration and no fee — but the engines cannot be used for peak shaving or demand response, and the site must meet the general conditions of 30 TAC §106.4 plus recordkeeping under §106.8 demonstrating compliance over a rolling 12-month period. Small and mid-size facilities with a handful of true emergency gensets often qualify. Non-emergency testing and maintenance runtime is typically limited (100 hours per year is the common benchmark).
Air Quality Standard Permit for Electric Generating Units
If generators will run outside emergencies — peak shaving, grid services, or ERCOT demand response under SB 6 — the EGU Standard Permit ↗ (30 TAC §§116.601–615) is the next tier. TCEQ also maintains a separate standard permit for natural gas EGUs. Standard permits carry pre-set emission limits, registration, and fees, but avoid the longer case-by-case review.
Case-by-case NSR permit (most hyperscale campuses)
Here's the catch that surprises developers: individual generators are small, but emissions from all engines at a site are aggregated. A campus with 40–100+ diesel gensets can easily exceed PBR and standard permit limits on paper, pushing the project into a case-by-case New Source Review permit under 30 TAC Chapter 116. Most large data centers structure this as a synthetic minor permit — accepting federally enforceable limits on operating hours to keep potential-to-emit below federal major source thresholds. That avoids the far longer major NSR/PSD review and keeps the project out of Title V.
Title V Federal Operating Permit
If aggregated potential-to-emit exceeds major source thresholds and can't be capped, the site needs a Title V operating permit — adding years of review, public participation, and ongoing compliance certification. Almost every data center developer engineers around this outcome with synthetic minor limits; the exception is campuses with on-site prime power generation, like the 7.65 GW GW Ranch permit.
Key point on timing: NSR permits must be issued before construction begins on the generator installations. Air permitting belongs on the critical path from day one — a case-by-case NSR review typically runs 6–12+ months, longer if public comments or a contested case hearing arise.
2Construction stormwater permit (TXR150000)
Any data center construction disturbing one acre or more — which is all of them — requires coverage under the TPDES Construction General Permit TXR150000 ↗. Requirements scale with disturbed acreage:
- 1 to under 5 acres: Small construction site — SWPPP required; automatic coverage in most cases
- 5+ acres: Large construction site — SWPPP, Notice of Intent (NOI) filed with TCEQ, site notice posting, and Notice of Termination at completion
A typical hyperscale campus disturbs hundreds of acres, so plan on full NOI coverage, a robust Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan, and coordination with the local MS4 operator if inside a regulated municipality.
3Water supply and discharge approvals
Water is emerging as the most consequential — and least predictable — permitting risk for Texas data centers. The TCEQ-regulated pieces:
- Reclaimed water authorization (30 TAC Chapter 210): Using treated municipal effluent for cooling requires TCEQ approval. Increasingly popular because it sidesteps freshwater constraints and community opposition.
- TPDES discharge permit: Cooling tower blowdown or process wastewater discharged to surface water needs an individual or general TPDES permit. Discharging to a municipal sewer instead requires a local industrial pretreatment agreement.
- Water rights: Direct diversion of surface water requires a TCEQ water right — rare for data centers, but relevant for some campus-scale projects.
Note on groundwater: Well pumping is governed by local Groundwater Conservation Districts under Water Code Chapter 36 — not TCEQ. Several districts have begun denying high-volume permits or exploring moratoriums, so groundwater-dependent sites carry real approval risk. Engage the district before you close on land.
4Edwards Aquifer protection plan (Central Texas sites)
Projects over the Edwards Aquifer recharge, contributing, or transition zones — covering parts of the Austin and San Antonio metros — must obtain TCEQ approval of a Water Pollution Abatement Plan under the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program (30 TAC Chapter 213) before construction. Budget extra months for geologic assessments if your site falls in these zones.
5Related non-TCEQ approvals to track
Not TCEQ, but on every permitting checklist: SPCC plans (federal EPA rule for diesel storage over 1,320 gallons — every generator farm exceeds this), ERCOT large load interconnection under SB 6 and proposed PUCT rule 16 TAC §25.194 (site control, financial security, non-refundable study fees, and a compressed 30-day post-study window), and county/municipal approvals — platting, floodplain permits, and inside city limits, zoning and site plan review.
Texas data center permit timeline.
Typical ranges, not guarantees — contested case hearings and public comments can extend air and water permits significantly.
| Permit | Agency | When required | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| PBR 106.511 | TCEQ | Emergency-only generators | Immediate (self-implementing) |
| EGU Standard Permit | TCEQ | Non-emergency generator operation | Weeks to ~3 months |
| Case-by-case NSR (synthetic minor) | TCEQ | Large generator fleets; before construction | 6–12+ months |
| Title V Operating Permit | TCEQ | Major sources (rare; on-site prime power) | 12–24+ months |
| Construction GP (TXR150000) | TCEQ | ≥1 acre disturbance; before earthwork | NOI: ~7 days after filing |
| Reclaimed water (Ch. 210) | TCEQ | Effluent reuse for cooling | ~2–6 months |
| TPDES discharge | TCEQ | Cooling/process water discharge | 6–12+ months (individual) |
| Edwards Aquifer WPAP | TCEQ | Recharge/contributing zone sites | ~3–6 months |
| Large load interconnection | ERCOT/PUCT | Loads ≥75 MW | Evolving under SB 6 rules |
Texas data center permitting, answered.
Do data centers in Texas need a TCEQ air permit?+−
Yes, in nearly every case. Backup generators are regulated emission sources. Emergency-only gensets may qualify for PBR 106.511 with no registration, but large campuses aggregating dozens of engines typically need a case-by-case NSR permit, usually structured as a synthetic minor to stay under Title V thresholds.
What stormwater permit does a Texas data center need?+−
Construction disturbing one acre or more requires TPDES Construction General Permit (TXR150000) coverage, including a SWPPP and — for sites of 5+ acres — a Notice of Intent filed with TCEQ.
How long does TCEQ permitting take for a data center?+−
PBR claims are immediate, standard permits take weeks to months, and case-by-case NSR permits run 6–12+ months. Air permitting is usually the critical-path item because it must be complete before construction of the generator installations.
Does TCEQ regulate data center water use?+−
Partially. TCEQ handles reclaimed water authorizations (Chapter 210), TPDES discharge permits, and surface water rights. Groundwater pumping is regulated by local Groundwater Conservation Districts.
What is Senate Bill 6 and how does it affect data centers?+−
SB 6 (2025) created a framework for loads of 75 MW+, covering most modern data centers. The PUCT's implementing rules add site-control proof, financial security, non-refundable fees, and a 30-day post-study interconnection window — plus mandatory load flexibility during grid emergencies.
Track Texas data center permits as they're filed.
New data center permit applications hit TCEQ's docket every week. PermitPulse monitors TCEQ air permit filings daily and alerts you when a new application is filed in any Texas county — before it makes the news.
This article summarizes publicly available regulatory and market information for general informational purposes only — it is not legal, engineering, or professional advice. Sources: TCEQ PBR 106.511 · TCEQ EGU Standard Permit · TCEQ Construction Stormwater GP · Stahl Sewell Chavarria — Data Center Permitting in Texas (May 2026) · Greenberg Traurig — SB 6 Update (March 2026) · Texas Data Center Pipeline (April 2026) · GW Ranch Air Permit. Figures and timelines may change; always confirm against current rules and filings before acting.