Texas has become ground zero for the U.S. data center buildout. As of April 2026, the state has 84 operating data centers and 140 more in planning, according to Cleanview’s national project tracker. Combined, the planned projects would add 75,089 megawatts of new capacity — nearly 20 times the state’s existing data center power footprint. Bloomberg projects that within three years Texas will become the nation’s leading data center market, and JLL says it could overtake Northern Virginia as the world’s largest by 2030. For fiber contractors, that means a generational wave of structured cabling, OSP, and inter-building fiber work concentrated in specific Texas regions. Here’s the regional breakdown, the largest projects, and what your business needs to be in position to win the work.
The Scale — By the Numbers
Cleanview, a clean energy data platform that tracks more than 10,000 power projects, 1,000 data centers, and 700 developers nationwide, recently published maps of existing and planned data centers in Texas. The numbers are staggering — not just in absolute terms, but compared to the state’s current footprint.
To put that in context: the planned projects represent almost 20x the state’s existing data center capacity. Bloomberg’s 2026 Data Center Power report projects that by 2028 Texas will exceed 40 GW of capacity — nearly 30% of total U.S. demand, a 142% increase in market share relative to today.
JLL’s Capital Markets team frames it more bluntly: “Texas, when viewed as a single market, could overtake Northern Virginia as the world’s largest data center market by 2030.” JLL points to abundant energy resources, ample land, and a business-friendly operating environment as the drivers.
Nationwide, Cleanview tracks 602 operating data centers (16,914 MW) and 888 planned projects that would add another 278,302 MW. Texas alone accounts for roughly 27% of all planned U.S. data center capacity.
JLL reports that more than 35 GW of data center capacity is currently under construction in North America — roughly equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of the UK or Italy. Nearly 60% of that is leased; the remaining 40% will be owner-occupied by hyperscalers. The majority of capacity under construction is in West Texas, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Ohio.
Where the Texas Projects Are Concentrated
The map of planned Texas data centers is not centered on Dallas or Austin. It spreads across rural and exurban Texas, with heavy concentration in regions where land, power interconnection, and water access converge. According to Cleanview’s analysis, the build is focused on:
Stretching from Odessa to Big Bend, including Pecos County and Reeves County. Home to the largest single planned project in the state (GW Ranch, 7,650 MW) and Microsoft’s Pecos Data Center (2,500 MW). Abundant power generation tied to oil & gas country is the draw.
From Amarillo to Lubbock, including Carson County (Fermi’s 4,600 MW campus, 4,400 MW nuclear, and 2,000 MW natural gas projects). Wind generation, transmission capacity, and inexpensive land are concentrated here.
A large rural area between San Antonio and Dallas, including Hill County (Nexus Data Centers Hubbard, 7,200 MW), Caldwell County (Tract Caldwell Valley, 4,000 MW), and Hood County (Sailfish Comanche Circle, 3,200 MW).
Existing concentration of large operating facilities (Core Scientific Denton 391 MW, DFW III-I Ellis 262 MW, CyrusOne DFW 90 MW, Fort Worth Data Center 200 MW) plus the planned Provident Data Center in Ellis County (1,800 MW).
Cameron County (Eneus Energy Cameron Data Center, 2,000 MW), Brownsville, Victoria, and Rockport. Areas west of Houston also have significant planned activity.
Wichita Falls, El Paso, Palestine, and areas north of Tyler all show large planned data center activity on the Cleanview map.
For fiber contractors, the geographic spread matters: this isn’t one or two metro markets. Crews and licensed business operations need to be able to reach rural Pecos County, the Panhandle, the I-35 corridor, and the Rio Grande Valley. Travel time, lodging, and regional crew deployment become real operational considerations.
The Largest Operating & Planned Projects
| Project | Location | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| IREN Childress (Bitcoin mining) | Childress | 750 MW |
| Core Scientific | Denton | 391 MW |
| Black Pearl (Bitcoin mining) | Winkler | 300 MW |
| DFW III-I | Ellis County | 262 MW |
| Hut 8 Vega Campus | Oldham County | 205 MW |
| Stream Data Center San Antonio III–VII | Bexar County | 200 MW |
| Fort Worth Data Center | Tarrant County | 200 MW |
| Abilene Stargate Campus | Abilene | 200 MW |
| QST San Antonio | Bexar County | 90 MW |
| CyrusOne DFW | Dallas | 90 MW |
| Project | Location | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| GW Ranch | Pecos County | 7,650 MW |
| Nexus Data Centers Hubbard | Hill County | 7,200 MW |
| Fermi | Carson County | 4,600 MW |
| Fermi Nuclear | Carson County | 4,400 MW |
| Tract Caldwell Valley | Caldwell County | 4,000 MW |
| Sailfish Comanche Circle | Hood County | 3,200 MW |
| Microsoft Pecos Data Center | Reeves County | 2,500 MW |
| Fermi Natural Gas | Carson County | 2,000 MW |
| Eneus Energy Cameron Data Center | Cameron County | 2,000 MW |
| Provident Data Center | Ellis County | 1,800 MW |
Bloomberg projects that by 2030 about one in five data center campuses will exceed gigawatt scale, rising to one in three by 2035. The top three planned Texas projects all clear 4,000 MW. At that scale, fiber work shifts from a single-trade subcontract into a multi-year program with long-term subcontractor relationships, multiple phases, and structured cabling crews working alongside electrical, mechanical, and security trades for years.
The Fiber Work That Comes With a Data Center Build
Every data center campus generates several distinct fiber scopes that hyperscaler GCs subcontract out. Knowing which scope you can credibly bid is the first step to positioning your business:
Long-haul and metro fiber needs to reach the data center from regional carrier POPs. On rural Texas projects, this can mean 20–100+ miles of new aerial or underground fiber construction through ranch land, easements, or alongside transmission corridors. Established OSP contractors with directional drilling, splicing, and right-of-way experience are the natural fit.
Large campuses with multiple data halls require fiber backbone runs between buildings. This is typically single-mode fiber in conduit and underground duct banks, requiring fusion splicing, OTDR testing, and detailed as-built documentation.
Inside the data hall, the work is high-density OM4 / OM5 multimode fiber, MPO/MTP pre-terminated trunks, and 0.5dB-or-better connector loss budgets. BICSI Installer and CFOT credentials are typically required, and crews work alongside electricians and mechanical trades on tight schedules.
Hyperscaler campuses connect to multiple carriers via meet-me rooms. Fiber cross-connect work, network operator builds, and meet-me-room installations are continuing scopes that remain even after the main construction wraps.
If your business is structured around aerial OSP, underground boring, and FTTH-style work, the OSP-to-site scopes on rural Texas data centers are your natural entry point — not the precision structured cabling inside the halls. The good news: the volume of OSP work for 140 planned projects across the state is enormous, and fewer crews can do this work in remote West Texas and the Panhandle than in the metros.
Texas Data Center Insurance Considerations
Hyperscaler GCs running Texas data center jobs (DPR, Turner, Skanska, Holder, Brasfield & Gorrie, AECOM) all run formal subcontractor pre-qualification programs. Your insurance has to clear that review before you bid. Common gaps Texas-based fiber subs encounter:
| Coverage | Typical Hyperscaler Requirement on Texas Data Center Jobs |
|---|---|
| General Liability | $2M / $4M minimum, often $5M aggregate on larger campuses. Per-project aggregate strongly preferred over shared aggregate. |
| Umbrella / Excess | $5M–$10M required on most large hyperscaler subs. Some campus-scale projects request $15M+. |
| Workers’ Compensation | Required for every employee in Texas. Subscriber status preferred — non-subscribers are typically disqualified from hyperscaler GC work. |
| Commercial Auto | $1M CSL with hired & non-owned auto. Long crew travel distances in West Texas / Panhandle make this especially important. |
| Inland Marine | Coverage for fusion splicers, OTDRs, MPO testers, and reels of fiber on remote sites with limited security. |
| Pollution Liability | Increasingly required when work involves directional drilling, trenching near aquifers, or fueling on remote sites. Texas water concerns make this scrutinized. |
| Professional / Tech E&O | Required when scope includes commissioning, testing, or certification of fiber infrastructure. |
- Workers’ comp non-subscriber status — legal in Texas, but it disqualifies you from most hyperscaler GC work. If you’re not a comp subscriber today, fix that before bidding data center scope.
- Long-distance crew travel — fiber crews working 200+ miles from home base (Permian, Panhandle) need clean commercial auto records and hired/non-owned coverage. A single rollover claim with weak coverage can end a small contractor.
- Independent contractor / 1099 misclassification — Texas hyperscaler GCs scrutinize crew structure. Crews working as 1099 with no comp create indemnity liability for the GC, and they reject those contractors at pre-qual.
- Permits, easements, and water/utility strikes — long OSP runs through ranch land magnify the underground utility strike exposure. Confirm your GL policy doesn’t carry an underground exclusion.
- Heat-related claims — West Texas summer work generates worker’s comp heat exposure claims. Properly classified comp coverage matters.
Hyperscaler GCs running Texas data center campuses don’t accept the same COI you’d send to a residential FTTH prime. They require additional insured endorsements naming the GC, the property owner, and often the hyperscaler directly, plus waiver of subrogation and primary & noncontributory language. Have your broker pre-build your COI template before you submit your first bid.
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Get a Texas Data Center Coverage QuoteAction Checklist — Get In Position
The Texas data center buildout will run for years. Local residents and lawmakers have raised concerns about energy and water consumption, but the trajectory of capital and capacity announcements continues to climb. Contractors who get organized in 2026 will have multi-year revenue from this market. Here’s how to position:
- Identify which of the 140 planned projects sit within reasonable crew-deployment range of your base of operations
- Track public permits, ERCOT interconnection filings, and county records to find projects before they’re publicly announced
- Build relationships with the major data center GCs (DPR, Turner, Skanska, Holder, Brasfield & Gorrie) and specialty primes
- Decide which scope you can credibly bid — OSP to site, campus inter-building, or structured cabling inside the halls
- Get crew members OSHA 10 / OSHA 30 current
- Pursue BICSI Installer Level 1 or 2 for crews working inside the halls
- Maintain FOA CFOT for fiber-specific validation
- Confirm Texas workers’ comp subscriber status
- Ensure your business is registered with the Texas Secretary of State and your contractor classification is appropriate
- Review GL limits — can you get to $2M/$4M and add umbrella to $5M+?
- Verify your GL policy has no underground utility strike exclusion
- Add hired & non-owned auto for long-distance crew travel across Texas
- Confirm inland marine covers your splicers, OTDRs, and MPO test gear at remote rural sites
- Get a clean COI template built that can issue additional insured endorsements quickly
- Verify your broker can issue waiver of subrogation and primary & noncontributory language
Texas is on track to become the largest data center market in the world. 140 planned projects across rural West Texas, the Panhandle, the I-35 corridor, and the Gulf Coast represent decades of fiber subcontract work. The contractors who get insured, credentialed, and pre-qualified with hyperscaler GCs in 2026 will be the ones billing through 2030 and beyond. The window to get in early is open now.
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