Hudspeth County Confirms $15B Data Center Under Development Near Far East El Paso

Hudspeth County officials have confirmed that a $15 billion data center is being developed on private land near the Desert Haven Community, roughly 15 miles from Homestead Meadows North in far East El Paso County, Texas. The confirmation follows weeks of speculation among local residents and marks one of the largest proposed digital infrastructure investments in the region to date.

In a social media post, Hudspeth County Judge Joanna "JoJo" Mackenzie said that after hearing rumors about a data center being built in the Desert Haven area, organizations involved with the project, including ServerDomes Global, confirmed the rumors are true. In a letter included with the post, Mackenzie described the project as a "state-of-the-art" and "first of its kind in the world" data center. She cautioned that the information shared so far is preliminary and based on what project representatives have provided, "not independent findings or guarantees by Hudspeth County."

According to Mackenzie, the facility will be situated on private property and away from surrounding residents. Water would be drawn "one time only" during the initial startup of the facility, with no additional water withdrawn after that, and she pledged that local water users would not be impacted. Mackenzie said the county will seek supporting information to verify these claims. The facility is expected to generate its own electricity and will not use local power sources. The project will not request tax abatements from the county, though the potential taxable value and resulting tax revenue have not yet been determined.

In response to community concerns, project managers have begun assisting with grading private roads in Desert Haven "as an act of good faith," Mackenzie said, adding that the landowner is also donating caliche for road improvements where needed, and that road use agreements involving county roads are being worked through. Construction could begin as early as 2027 and will initially create 800 construction jobs. The build-out is expected to take four to five years, with approximately 200 to 300 permanent jobs anticipated once completed.

Mackenzie said she visited the site Thursday morning and met with contractors and others involved in the project. She said those conversations included "acknowledgment and an apology for the lack of communication with local government and the community." Project representatives recognized that those conversations should have started sooner and committed to improving communication going forward.

Mackenzie noted that the county's role is limited because the proposal is a private development on private property, but that Hudspeth County is responsible for ensuring applicable laws and regulations are followed, public infrastructure and resources are protected, and residents have an opportunity to be heard. She also said she testified Tuesday before the Texas House Natural Resources Committee in El Paso about protecting water resources and the importance of including rural communities in decisions that may impact them, adding that those same principles apply to the proposed data center. She said she is encouraged by the support the county has received from the state.