Rowan’s $4.2 billion Temple data center campus advances as water, power questions persist
Rowan Digital Infrastructure is advancing its $4.2 billion data center campus in Temple, Texas, with five of six buildings approved or under construction. The sixth building, Lasso, is pending city council zoning approval on Sept. 17, while the city also considers broader data center regulations. Residents continue to voice concerns regarding water use, electricity demands, and noise.
Rowan Digital Infrastructure is expanding its data center campus in east Temple, Texas, with a projected private investment of at least $4.2 billion. The development includes three projects—Project Temple, Project Stampede, and Project Ranger—comprising six buildings in total. Five of these buildings are already approved or under construction, with the final building, known as the Lasso Building, currently in the city's public approval process, facing a City Council vote on zoning regulations on Sept. 17.
Company officials, including Nathaniel Darnall, emphasized the significant investment and job creation, with a commitment to at least 120 permanent jobs and supporting 1,500-2,000 construction jobs. Rowan has secured a 50% property tax abatement for 10 years on eligible city and Bell County taxes, and projects over $45 million annually in tax revenue across local jurisdictions post-construction. Residents have raised concerns about water availability, noise, and the cumulative impact of large-scale data center development.
Addressing environmental concerns, Rowan’s director of water strategy and sustainability, Chris Kurtz, stated the facilities will use air-chilled, closed-loop cooling, significantly reducing continuous water use. The company has also committed to funding a city aquifer well and contributing $32 million to Temple's South Temple Water Infrastructure Capital Program. Regarding electricity, Rowan's vice president of energy and water, Patrick Dillow, noted the company's active participation in state procedures following new ERCOT requirements and Governor Abbott's audit directive. Rowan is a signatory to the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, committing to fund its own grid upgrades.
Temple is also moving to adopt broader data center regulations through proposed amendments to its Unified Development Code, which would establish new development standards and require utility service agreements for future industrial projects. Rowan expects to own the facilities long-term, leasing to hyperscale customers like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon Web Services, though no specific tenants have been confirmed.