Viridien addresses community concerns as Brenham data center moves forward | Home | southtexasnews.com

Following a high-profile Brenham City Council meeting on January 8, technology company Viridien has published a comprehensive roadmap for its planned High-Performance Computing (HPC) Hub in Brenham, Texas. The move aims to alleviate community concerns regarding the project's environmental impact and its potential strain on local infrastructure. Viridien emphasizes that its 40,300 square-foot facility, designed with efficiency in mind, will start with a 5-megawatt load, potentially expanding to 21 megawatts. The company highlighted several features to minimize its footprint, including a "closed-loop air-based" cooling system that will consume zero water for cooling after an initial fill, avoiding municipal water use. Power will be supplied via a dedicated connection, and Viridien committed to funding any necessary substation or transmission upgrades to prevent costs from impacting other customers. The facility is targeting 100% renewable energy and incorporates dark-sky compliant lighting and sound-attenuated emergency generators to address neighborhood concerns about industrial activity and noise levels. Additionally, the Brenham HPC Hub will feature a "Demand Response" capability to reduce activity during ERCOT emergency events, thereby supporting the Texas power grid. The project is expected to create 26 permanent onsite technical roles. Construction is projected to begin in early 2026, with completion anticipated by the end of 2027.