Data Center Construction in Midland, Texas

Foundation design for a Midland data center starts with a question most Texas sites never ask, which is how the ground behaves near oilfield disposal wells, and we answer it before we pour a slab. We build the shell, the electrical and generator yards, the cooling plant and the underground services for operators that serve the Permian Basin energy industry, an expanding aerospace cluster and a corporate base that needs resilient systems. Each project is shaped by the seismic record, the open West Texas terrain and the utility's capacity to deliver power.

The Railroad Commission has documented the seismic issue. Its September 2021 notice says six felt earthquakes of magnitude 3.5 or greater had occurred since February 2020 in the Gardendale Seismic Response Area, which runs from northeast Ector County to southwest Martin County, including a magnitude 3.7 event on September 7, 2021 about eight miles northwest of Midland. The commission suspended permits for deep disposal wells in that area, covering 33 wells, effective December 31, 2021, and enlarged the area by about 100 square miles after a magnitude 5.4 earthquake on December 16, 2022.

None of that makes Midland unbuildable. It makes the geotechnical and structural scope more important, and it makes honest communication with the owner and insurer essential. We treat seismic exposure as a design input, as we would treat wind or flood elsewhere.

The earthquakes recorded in this area are modest compared with those in famous fault zones, but a mission-critical owner does not need a damaging event to lose service. Vibration can disturb rotating equipment, shift piping, trip protective devices and loosen connections. We work with the structural engineer to specify equipment anchorage, flexible connections on piping and conduit, restraint of battery racks and bracing of raised floors and overhead services. The goal is a building and a plant that ride through a shake and continue to run.

Our battery and UPS rooms practice is relevant, because batteries are heavy and can be hazardous if they move. We also review the site's geotechnical report for soil stiffness, groundwater and subsidence, and we choose foundations that fit. Where the report calls for deeper foundations or ground improvement, we price them in the first estimate.

Midland International Air and Space Port describes itself as the first commercial spaceport co-located with a commercial airport certified under FAA Part 139, and Phase 1 of its Spaceport Business Park covers 50 acres on the southeast side of the airport, offered on ground leases negotiated by the Midland Development Corporation. In July 2026 the city approved a performance-based incentive for a satellite maker's new facility of more than 400,000 square feet at that park, with $100 million in taxable investment through 2034 and 1,800 full-time positions at full build-out. In September 2024 an agreement for a space launch company promised $78 million in assets and 23 new jobs.

Aerospace users bring needs for secure computing, testing data and engineering workstations. Energy companies, including the owners described on utilities and power developers, bring seismic processing, production analytics and control systems. We can build for either, and the buildings range from an enterprise data center to a network operations center for field operations.

West Texas weather is rough on construction. Wind can limit crane lifts and steel erection, dust affects cleanliness and equipment, and summer heat affects crews and concrete. We set wind limits for lifts, enclose the building early where practical, and keep dust under control with wet methods and stabilized roads. Our construction cleanliness and safety program describes how we protect equipment rooms during construction.

The energy industry's safety culture is a help, because many trade workers in the basin are accustomed to site orientations, permits to work and strict reporting. We use that culture, and we add the controls that mission-critical work requires, including lockout procedures for energized equipment and clear coordination with the utility.

West Texas owners often find that the electrical grid is the major constraint, not the land. We therefore begin with the utility conversation, including the service voltage, the path to a substation and the timeline for upgrades. We then lay out the electrical yard and the generator yard so that equipment can arrive and be set before the building is finished.

Roads are part of the plan. TxDOT proposed in June 2024 to build Loop 250 main lanes in Midland County between Fairgrounds Road and CR 1150 with an overpass at Todd Drive, and a 2019 proposal would improve the I-20 corridor between Loop 250 and FM 1788 with a new interchange at County Road 1250 to serve the industrialized area. We treat such projects as possible changes to access, and we plan entrances that can adapt. Compare Odessa, only a short drive west, for a similar setting with its own industrial parks.

Midland applies the commercial building code that Texas municipalities use, the International Building Code, with any local amendments adopted by ordinance, and the state continues to use the energy code. Large loads face additional utility rules under Senate Bill 6, including a 75 megawatt threshold, study fees, financial commitments and curtailment readiness for transmission-voltage customers connecting after 2025. We include these in the permit tracker.

Generators require air permits where the size and operating hours trigger them, and fuel storage may require spill prevention plans. Our permitting and utility interconnection team keeps the list and the dates. Owners who are evaluating a regional alternative can read about the Permian Basin belt.

Send us the address, the load and the target date. We will return a first scope that includes the geotechnical and seismic questions.

Are earthquakes in the Permian Basin a risk to a data center?

They are a design consideration. The Railroad Commission has recorded felt earthquakes and has limited deep disposal in certain areas. We design equipment restraint, flexible connections and foundations for the level the engineer specifies, and we help the owner discuss the exposure with insurers.

Will an insurer treat Midland differently?

It may. Insurers consider seismic exposure, wind, hail and the cost of replacement equipment, and they may ask for details on anchorage and bracing. Statewide, insured losses in Texas exceeded $47.2 billion in 2024, so insurers pay attention. We provide documentation that supports the owner's submission.

How does the spaceport affect nearby construction?

It adds employers and construction activity, and it may add rules for height and lighting near the airport. Parcels at the airport are leased by the development corporation, so terms come from that process. We estimate the building and the site work and coordinate with the owner.

What would you do first on a vacant parcel?

We would obtain a boundary survey, a geotechnical report that addresses seismic site class, a drainage review and a utility will-serve letter. With those four documents we can set a footprint, a budget range and a schedule.

Is it better to build in Midland or Odessa?

The answer depends on land, power and tenants. The two cities share a labor market and a utility region, so differences come from specific parcels. We compare them with the same assumptions.