Data Center Power and Substation Construction in Cleburne, Texas

Power decides when a data center can open, and a Cleburne buyer should begin with the interconnect timeline before choosing a building. Interconnection is the process by which a utility studies a new load, designs service and builds the lines and substation equipment to deliver it. The region is run by ERCOT, and the studies, agreements and equipment orders can take longer than the building. We keep that schedule in front of the construction schedule from the first meeting.

Cleburne has the road, rail and air links that support large projects. The state highway agency maintains U.S. Route 67 and State Highway 174 through the city, BNSF Railway controls much of the freight traffic over the city's many rail lines, and Cleburne Regional Airport, owned by the city and open to the public, occupies 440 acres and has one asphalt runway measuring 5,697 by 100 feet.

Once the power path is clear, we build the shell and core around it. The structure, floor slab, roof and equipment pads follow the delivery dates for transformers and switchgear, so the building is ready when the energized gear arrives.

Utility charges can include study fees, a facilities agreement, contributions for new lines and equipment and the owner's own on-site substation yard. Our estimates separate these from the building so the owner can see the true price of capacity. A site with transmission lines already crossing it may cost less than one needing a long extension.

On-site work includes foundations for transformers, oil containment, ground grids, conduit and fencing. We price each as a line, and we ask the utility for its design standards early, since those standards decide the pad size. A phased expansion build-out can reserve space for a second transformer and breaker position, which is far cheaper to prepare during the first phase than to retrofit.

Large transformers and breakers are built to order, so their delivery dates are the fixed points that everything else ties to. We lay out the sequence in reverse: energization, testing, equipment set, pads and duct banks, then grading. Each step carries float, and we publish it.

Heavy loads arrive by truck over the state highways, with rail access from BNSF in some cases. We obtain route surveys and permits well before shipment, and we check bridge ratings, overhead clearances and turning points with the carrier. The receiving pad is inspected before the truck leaves the factory, so a load never arrives at an unfinished foundation.

Construction began on Amazon's facility in Cleburne, per a November 2024 report: 1.7 million square feet, $200 million, up to 1,000 jobs, about thirty miles south of downtown Fort Worth. Major employers also include a Walmart distribution center, Johns Manville, James Hardie Industries, Wabash National and The Greenbrier Companies.

Large employers draw power, and queued projects can affect study results. We ask the utility how the existing and planned loads change available capacity at the site and how that affects the date.

Utilities and power developers weigh Cleburne for substations and generation tie-ins, and operators looking for land south of Fort Worth consider it a place with industrial neighbors and room to grow. The site conversation usually starts with the nearest transmission line and its capacity.

We also explain the shell options, from shell and core packages to complete halls. We help buyers compare Cleburne with Arlington and Fort Worth on power date, land cost and construction cost, using the same assumptions for each.

The local building department reviews the permit for the shell, yards and site, while the fire authority reviews generator fuel storage. The electric provider approves the substation design, the relay and metering plan and the energization checklist. We track each approval and the dates it gates. Shell permits and the substation yard permits are filed in the order that lets foundations start first, and revisions are logged so inspectors always see the current set of drawings.

Permitting and utility interconnection is run as one tracker so a building permit is not issued without a plan for power.

We reach Johnson County from Fort Worth and Grand Prairie, using U.S. 67 and State Highway 174. Trade partners and material deliveries use the same roads, and we plan arrival times so that concrete trucks and heavy haulers do not meet at the site gate.

Cleburne's surface soils mix sandy clay loam with dark, lime-rich clay, so grading and foundations are checked against borings before the first pad is poured. Clay that swells can lift a lightly loaded slab or crack a pad, and we address it with moisture control, treated subgrade or deeper foundations as the engineer directs.

We start from power and cooling, then work back to the building and the site. The megawatt target sets the substation, the substation sets the yard, and the yard sets the building location. This sequence keeps the owner from buying a shell that cannot be energized.

Our role is to estimate, plan, schedule, coordinate and inspect. Trade partners build the foundations, steel, concrete and electrical work, and we hold their milestones against the utility's dates.

Substation work places people near energized equipment. We require clearance distances, qualified electrical workers, lockout procedures and a written plan for each outage window. Crane work near overhead lines needs a spotter and a measured clearance.

Grounding tests, hot work permits and fall protection are verified at each step, and our inspectors stop work when a rule is not met.

Tell us the parcel, the load and the target energization month. We will return a power-first schedule with the substation, shell and yard work laid out against the utility's milestones.

How long does a utility interconnect take?

It varies with the size of the load, the condition of nearby lines and the utility's queue. Studies, agreements and equipment orders often take longer than the shell, so we start the request first and build the schedule around the provider's dates.

Can we build the shell before the study ends?

Yes, if you accept the risk. Many owners start with site work and foundations while the study proceeds. We recommend a decision point where spending on the shell would exceed what the owner can recover if the utility's date moves.

What does an on-site substation yard require?

It requires a graded and drained pad, transformer foundations, oil containment, a ground grid, conduit, fencing and access for maintenance. The utility's standards decide the details, so we obtain them early.

Do the nearby Amazon and industrial projects affect power?

They can, because they add load. We ask the provider how queued and existing loads affect the study and design the schedule with a range of dates instead of a single promise.

What soil conditions should we expect?

The upper soils are a sandy clay loam and a dark clay containing calcium carbonate, and the clay can swell. Borings identify depth, moisture and rock, and we design pads and slabs accordingly.