Data Center Construction in El Paso, Texas

Hyperscale and AI operators looking at far West Texas need a builder who can plan a campus around power, water and desert weather, and that is the work we offer in El Paso. We construct the data halls, the power and cooling yards, the substation pads, the duct banks and the roads that serve them. In a region with long distances to the rest of the state, much of the job is logistics: how to bring thousands of tons of steel, concrete and electrical equipment to a site and how to keep thousands of workers moving once they arrive.

The market got a clear signal in October 2025, when a hyperscale operator announced an estimated $1.5 billion, 1.2 million square foot AI data center in northeast El Paso on about 1,039 acres along Stan Roberts Sr. Avenue near U.S. Highway 54. The announcement, which matters to AI and GPU cloud operators weighing the region, projected 100 operational jobs and 1,800 construction jobs at peak, and a news report the same week said the campus would eventually reach 1 gigawatt of capacity and was expected to come online in 2028, according to a company spokesperson. We cite it as market context only. We did not build it and we do not speak for its owner.

What it tells every other owner is that El Paso is now a serious location for large compute, and that land, labor and equipment will be contested. Our job is to help a different owner, or a utility, a developer or an enterprise, build their own project with eyes open to that competition.

El Paso's economy has long included a very large Army installation. As of 2025, the installation is home to 41,527 direct employees, including 30,288 active-duty personnel, and the Texas Comptroller estimates that its affiliated population contributed at least $29 billion to the Texas economy in 2025. That base supports contractors, service firms and a skilled workforce, and it creates a customer base for secure computing space.

The AI campus adds a new layer of construction demand. When a project of that size starts, it draws electricians, concrete finishers and equipment operators from across the region. Prudent owners lock in their crews and suppliers early, and our hyperscale campus construction approach explains how we set up master agreements, staging areas and labor plans for projects of campus scale. Smaller owners can still compete by planning well and by choosing timing that avoids the peak.

A large El Paso site begins at the utility boundary. We build the pad for the substation, the duct banks and the medium-voltage yard, then the roads and the detention system. Once those are in place, we start the building: foundations, slab, walls and roof, followed by mechanical rooms, electrical rooms and the first halls. The site work for a campus of this kind is described on utility and substation site work.

Cooling is a major scope item in a desert climate. Dry air favors evaporative and hybrid systems, but water is limited, so owners often evaluate closed-loop and liquid-cooled designs that use less. We build the plant pads, piping and structural supports for any of these, and we coordinate with the owner's engineer through our liquid cooling infrastructure coordination service. Dense AI racks change the structural, electrical and piping design, and the earlier we know the target, the less rework occurs.

Dry country is not safe from water. El Paso Water states that a 2006 storm dropped a year's worth of rain on the city in two days, causing more than $200 million in damage to businesses and homes and $115 million in damage to the stormwater system, after which the City Council established a stormwater utility in 2008. For a data center on a desert site that lesson is direct: arroyos and sheet flow can threaten equipment yards, and the drainage design must handle a rare, intense event.

We model runoff, locate switchgear and generator pads above the flood path, and size detention and outfalls to the city's requirements. Our stormwater and detention page explains the design coordination, and we carry the same discipline into construction by keeping erosion controls in place through the first heavy rain.

The Americas Interchange at Loop 375 and I-10 is listed by the regional mobility authority as an eight direct-connector project, of which a second phase added three connectors in 2013 and a third phase, westbound I-10 to northbound Loop 375, still awaits funding. The Border West Expressway on Loop 375 spans about 7.4 miles, including a new elevated four-lane toll road of about 5.6 miles, at a total cost of $639.5 million from the Texas Mobility Fund, with construction beginning in March 2015. Those roads shape how freight moves through the metro.

We plan equipment routes with them in mind. Oversize transformers and generator sets travel permitted routes at off-peak hours, and we confirm clearances before ordering. Our long-lead equipment procurement process aligns delivery dates with pad readiness so that expensive equipment is not stored longer than necessary.

Desert sites bring wind, strong sun and wide temperature swings, and each affects crews and materials. We schedule concrete and masonry for favorable windows, protect fresh slabs from rapid moisture loss and keep curing records. Steel erection is planned around wind limits, and we provide shade and water as part of a documented heat plan.

Keeping the main structure, the slabs and the site work under our own supervision lets us hold quality in a market that will be busy. It also helps schedule: when we control the schedule, we can resequence work when a delivery slips. Owners who want a single contract can read about design-build delivery, and those comparing West Texas markets can look at Midland or Lubbock.

Tell us the site, the load and the schedule. We will provide a scope that covers power, cooling, drainage and logistics.

Should smaller owners worry about the large AI campus raising costs?

Yes, a little. A very large project can tighten the market for skilled trades and equipment. The best protection is to start early, sign subcontractor and supplier commitments before prices move and keep the project size and schedule realistic. We will tell you what we see in the market when we price your project.

How does desert climate affect cooling design?

Dry air makes evaporative cooling efficient, but water supply is limited and mineral content can foul equipment. Many owners therefore consider hybrid or closed-loop systems. High ambient temperatures in summer also reduce the capacity of air-cooled equipment, so the plant must be sized for peak conditions.

Is it possible to phase a campus that may reach a gigawatt?

Yes, and large campuses are almost always phased. The first phase builds the substation, the main duct banks, the roads and the first buildings. Later phases add buildings and power as the utility energizes more load. We design the infrastructure so that phase one does not need to be torn up for phase two.

What permits take the longest?

Utility interconnection is usually the longest, followed by environmental and air permits for generators and large cooling systems. Under Senate Bill 6, loads of 75 megawatts or more also face study fees, financial commitments and curtailment requirements. We schedule all of these together.

Can an existing industrial building be converted?

Sometimes. The building must have the floor loading, roof capacity, clear height and power access that data halls require. We assess the structure and utilities and compare conversion to new construction.