Second AI data center in Angelina County already ahead of Amp Z
Angelina County, Texas, is home to two AI data center projects. The Amp Z project is stalled due to an unaddressed tax abatement request, while Hyper Data Grid is already clearing land and has secured necessary utility agreements. County officials, realizing their limited power, plan to ask the state for more regulatory control over data center developments.
Two AI data center projects are underway in Angelina County, Texas, with one significantly more advanced than the other. The proposed Amp Z data center, located on Highway 103 East at an old paper mill site, has garnered public attention but has not yet started construction. Angelina County Commissioners previously sent back Amp Z's request for tax abatement agreements, asking for more details, and County Judge Keith Wright reports no further communication from the company.
In contrast, the Hyper Data Grid project on Highway 103 West, situated on the site of the former Northern Chip Mill, a 40-acre timber facility, is actively progressing. Judge Wright noted that this project is "out of sight, out of mind" but is already clearing land and has secured its electrical and water agreements. The company still needs to finalize a road use agreement with the county.
Judge Wright emphasized that Angelina County lacks the direct power to halt AI data center developments, with tax abatement agreements being their primary leverage. Consequently, the Commissioners Court is preparing to petition the State of Texas for increased regulatory authority regarding such projects.