Skybox Austin I
Proposed size
30 MW
Site area
25 ac
Building area
141,000 sq ft
Cooling
Closed-loop air-cooled chillers (no evaporative cooling since 2016)
Investment
$0.1B
Developer
Skybox Datacenters
Skybox Austin I is a 30 MW, 141,000 sq ft enterprise-class data center located on a 25-acre campus in Pflugerville (Travis County). Ground was broken in June 2022 and the facility came online in late 2023. It uses air-cooled closed-loop chillers and reportedly consumes less water than five typical households — dramatically lower than evaporative-cooled peers. The campus is master-planned for a second 141,000 sq ft building.
Water Impact
Daily water use (estimated range)
375 – 54K gal/day
Water returned per day
None reported
Per Developer-stated: Skybox closed-loop system uses less water than 5 typical households (~375 gal/day ongoing). High estimate from LBNL 9,000 gal/day/MW benchmark discounted 80% for air-cooled closed-loop. Source: Inside Climate News 2026-04-10., based on Skybox stopped using evaporative cooling in 2016 and uses closed-loop air-cooled chillers. One-time system fill ~30,000 gallons. Ongoing daily water use negligible compared to evaporative-cooled peers.
vs. 5M gal/day (typical 400 MW facility)
The higher estimate is equivalent to the daily water use of approximately 540 households. San Marcos has approximately 25,000 households.
- Water intake
- 375 – 54K gal/day
- 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: 600 New Meister Lane, Pflugerville, Travis County, TX
Water source: City of Austin Water (Pflugerville service area)
Infrastructure
- Water provider
- City of Austin Water / Pflugerville
- Power provider
- ERCOT / Oncor (Austin Energy service area)
Fully operational — focus shifts to accountability and future policy
Advocacy now focuses on transparency, accountability, and shaping policy for the next project. Real data from operational facilities strengthens the case for mandatory water impact assessments on all future proposals.
Timeline
April 10, 2026
Inside Climate News covers Texas data center water usage, citing Skybox closed-loop cooling
Inside Climate News published "Texas Data Center Developers Play Offense on Water, Claiming Huge Cuts in Usage" on April 10, 2026. The article highlighted Skybox's closed-loop cooling approach, noting the company claims its average data center uses "less water than five typical households." The story ran as 85% of Texas was under drought conditions.
Source →(opens in new tab)June 1, 2023
Skybox Austin I Building 1 reaches operational status
Skybox Austin I (Building 1) came online in mid-2023, delivering 30 MW of colocation capacity at 600 New Meister Lane, Pflugerville. The facility receives power from two diverse Oncor substations via concrete-encased underground duct banks and is positioned in deregulated Texas territory allowing tenants to select renewable energy suppliers.
Source →(opens in new tab)June 20, 2022
Skybox breaks ground on Austin I data center
Skybox Datacenters broke ground on its first Austin-area data center on June 20, 2022, on Prologis-owned greenfield land in Pflugerville (600 New Meister Lane). The 30 MW, 141,240 sq ft Building 1 is the first phase of a campus master-planned to support up to two identical facilities.
Source →(opens in new tab)March 9, 2022
Skybox and Prologis announce 30 MW Austin data center campus in Pflugerville
Skybox Datacenters and Prologis publicly announced their partnership on March 9, 2022 to build a 30 MW, 141,000 sq ft data center on Prologis-owned land at the corner of Meister Lane and New Meister Lane in Pflugerville. The owners intended to invest up to $548 million in Pflugerville through the campus, with the Pflugerville CDC providing a development grant.
Source →(opens in new tab)
Documents
Sources
- 1. Skybox Austin I – Skybox Datacenters — Skybox Datacenters, 2024-01-01. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 2. Skybox breaks ground on Austin data center — Data Center Dynamics, 2022-06-01. Link →(opens in new tab)
- 3. Texas Data Center Developers Play Offense on Water, Claiming Huge Cuts in Usage — Inside Climate News, 2026-04-10. Link →(opens in new tab)
Community Notes
Pflugerville is in Travis County, served by Austin Energy via Oncor substations. The closed-loop cooling design is directly relevant to water use comparisons — Skybox Austin I draws negligible daily water compared to older evaporative facilities.