Data Center Signal is tracking 8 clips about DPR Construction data center developments across 3 states, including TX, LA, AL.
Texas is experiencing a data center boom driven by artificial intelligence, creating significant demand for skilled trades like electricians. Amidst this growth, concerns are rising over the facilities' electricity and water consumption, prompting the Austin City Council to implement new regulations and Governor Greg Abbott to pause new data center approvals statewide.
A large data center, Free Bird Data Center Phase One, is under construction in Burlington, Milam County, Texas, with OpenAI as a tenant. Local residents have raised concerns about increased rock and gravel truck traffic through downtown Temple, prompting developer SB Energy to work on rerouting to address the issue.
Rock and gravel trucks are causing traffic concerns in downtown Temple as they travel to a data center construction site in Burlington, Milam County, Texas. The Free Bird Data Center, home to OpenAI, is under construction by DPR Construction and SB Energy. SB Energy is actively working to reroute the trucks to mitigate traffic issues.
DPR Construction and Turner Construction, contractors for the Meta Data Center project, are partnering with Louisiana Delta Community College (LDCC) to launch a Construction Craft Laborer Training Program. This program aims to train local residents to fill the need for nearly 7,000 additional workers required for the expanding Meta data center construction in Northeast Louisiana. Scholarships are available to make the program accessible, offering a pathway to competitive wages and career growth.
Meta is significantly expanding its AI data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana, increasing its investment to over $50 billion and its compute capacity to five gigawatts. The project, already under construction, will be Meta's largest facility, consuming substantial amounts of energy and water. Entergy plans to build seven new natural-gas plants to power the facility.
Data center construction is significantly fueling job growth in the construction industry across Texas, particularly in the Austin metro area. Labor data indicates a 5% increase in the mining, logging, and construction sector, with specialized data center projects demanding a skilled workforce. Despite challenges like immigration crackdowns and a retiring workforce, the region is attracting new workers.
A TIME investigation uncovers significant worker safety concerns at the Stargate data centers in Abilene, Texas, involving multiple injuries, alleged negligence, and a worker fatality. Several contractors, including Kiewit, MMR Group, and DPR Construction, are facing lawsuits and OSHA investigations related to the conditions at the site. Workers report unusually lax safety practices, understaffing, and a culture of rushing to meet aggressive construction timelines for the AI infrastructure project.
The bureaucratic battle against the proposed Nebius AI data center in Birmingham's Oxmoor Valley has fizzled, as city officials determined Nebius does not need city approval for its power infrastructure due to zoning interpretations. Despite public opposition and a temporary city-wide moratorium on data centers, the Nebius project is exempt as it was already in the permitting process, clearing its path forward. Residents remain concerned about environmental impacts, electricity use, and noise pollution.