Prime Data Centers — Austin (AUS01)
Proposed size
384 MW
Site area
206 ac
Buildings
8
Building area
2,000,000 sq ft
Cooling
Closed-loop liquid cooling
Investment
$4.2B
Developer
Prime Data Centers LLC
Prime Data Centers LLC is developing an 8-building, 384 MW hyperscale campus ("AUS01") on ~206 acres at 3300 FM 2720, Maxwell, TX 78656 — at the SE corner of FM 2720 and Bobwhite Road, directly across from the Tract Data Center Technology Park. Caldwell County approved Chapter 312/381 tax abatements and a TIRZ designation on March 12, 2024. Phase 1 ("Project Snow", three buildings, ~$1.3B, ~780,000 sq ft) targets first delivery in 2028. Full buildout across three phases totals ~$4.2B and 2,000,000 sq ft.
Water Impact
Daily water use (estimated range)
Unknown
Water returned per day
None reported
Per Caldwell County development agreement requirement (March 2024), based on Caldwell County development agreement (March 2024) requires closed-loop non-potable cooling — daily water use limited to administrative/restroom needs. This aligns with Prime Data Centers' company-wide standard: closed-loop air and liquid cooling achieves less than 1% of the water consumed by traditional evaporative systems (near-zero WUE). Prime's facilities in Dallas and Sacramento earned EPA Energy Star certification under this approach. Prime also procures Water Restoration Certificates equal to 120% of annual operating water consumption. Specific gallons-per-day for the AUS01 campus has not been publicly filed.
vs. 5M gal/day (typical 400 MW facility)
- Water intake
- Unknown
- Lost to evaporation
- 100%
- Returned to system
- 0% (None reported)
Direct water figures are estimates from permit applications and developer disclosures. Indirect (power generation) figures are calculated estimates. Actual water use depends on technology choices, operating capacity, and weather conditions.
Location
Address: 3300 FM 2720, Maxwell, Caldwell County, TX
Water source: Non-potable closed-loop (Caldwell County development agreement requirement)
Infrastructure
- Land owner
- Neimann Farm Partners LP; La Tierra Realty LLC; Lockhart Property LLC
- Water provider
- City of Lockhart
- Power provider
- Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative
- Tax incentives
- 10-year 100% property tax abatement with PILOT ~40% annually (~$840,000/year for Phase 1)
Permitted — the decision is made, but conditions still matter
The primary decision cannot be undone, but the conditions attached to the approval can still be negotiated or enforced. Officials can be held accountable for permit violations. Community pressure matters for shaping how the project is operated and what monitoring is required.
Timeline
January 1, 2028
Phase 3 delivery targeted for 2028 — full campus completion
Prime Data Centers Phase 3 targets 2028 delivery, completing the full 8-building, 384 MW, ~$4.2B campus. Full buildout represents 2 million sq ft on ~206 acres at 3300 FM 2720, Maxwell, TX.
January 1, 2027
Phase 2 delivery targeted for 2027
Prime Data Centers Phase 2 construction targets 2027 delivery. Full campus plans 8 buildings, 384 MW, 2 million sq ft on ~206 acres at 3300 FM 2720, Maxwell, TX.
January 1, 2026
Phase 1 (144 MW, 3 buildings) targets 2026 delivery
Prime Data Centers Phase 1 — 144 MW across approximately 3 of the planned 8 buildings — is targeted for delivery in 2026. Phase 1 investment ~$1.3B. Water cooling limited to non-potable closed-loop per Caldwell County development agreement.
March 12, 2024
Caldwell County Commissioners approve tax abatement and TIRZ designation
Caldwell County Commissioners Court votes at a special meeting to approve Chapter 312 and Chapter 381 tax abatement agreements and designate the 206-acre site as "Prime Data Centers LLC Reinvestment Zone #1." The development agreement requires closed-loop non-potable water cooling, limiting daily water use to administrative and restroom needs.
Source →(opens in new tab)February 22, 2024
Prime Data Centers announces $1.3B campus near Maxwell ("Project Snow")
The Real Deal first reports a $1.3B data center planned for rural Caldwell County on ~206 acres at FM 2720 and Bobwhite Road. The project, internally named "Project Snow," is by Prime Data Centers LLC. A Caldwell County special meeting is called for March 12, 2024.
Source →(opens in new tab)
Sources
- 1. $1.3B data center headed for rural Caldwell County — The Real Deal, 2024-02-22. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 2. Caldwell County announces incentives for $1.3 billion data center near Uhland — San Marcos Record, 2024-03-12. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 3. Prime Data Centers looking to build $1.3bn data center near Austin, Texas — Data Center Dynamics, 2024-02-22. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 4. Prime Data Centers — Austin (AUS01) campus page — Prime Data Centers, 2024-02-01. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 5. Caldwell County Commissioners Court special meeting (tax abatement vote), March 12 2024 — Caldwell County TX, 2024-03-12. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 6. New Data Center Planned for Lockhart in 2028 — Austin Monitor, 2025-05-01. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 7. Caldwell CAD Parcel 14662 — Lockhart Property LLC (Prime DC site, 178 ac) — Caldwell County Appraisal District, 2026-04-08. Link →(opens in new tab)
Community Notes
Caldwell County negotiated a development agreement requiring closed-loop non-potable water cooling (limiting daily water use to administrative and restroom needs only), an 80% impervious cover limit, Dark Sky lighting provisions, and TCEQ-compliant wastewater treatment. This positions Prime as a lower water-risk project compared to open-loop data centers, though energy-related water consumption at ERCOT power plants is not mitigated. No organized local opposition has been identified as of April 2026. The project was announced as "Project Snow" before the county vote. The FM 2720 corridor now hosts both Prime (SE side) and Tract (~3,000 acres, NW side), making the area one of the highest-concentration data center corridors in Texas.