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Skybox PowerCampus Austin (Hutto)

Partially OperationalEngageReview in progress — 3 sources cited

Proposed size

600 MW

Site area

220 ac

Buildings

6

Building area

3,900,000 sq ft

Cooling

Evaporative cooling towers (no closed-loop requirement confirmed)

Investment

$10.0B

Developer

Skybox Datacenters / Prologis

Skybox Datacenters and Prologis are developing PowerCampus Austin, a 600 MW, 3.9-million-sq-ft hyperscale campus on 220 acres at the intersection of US-79 and CR 132 in Hutto. Approved by Hutto City Council in July 2023 with a Chapter 312 tax abatement. The $10 billion+ campus spans six buildings and two dedicated 300 MW substations. First building fully leased as of 2025; second $125M building filed with TDLR August 2025.

Water Impact

Daily water use (estimated range)

5.4M – 7.8M gal/day

Water returned per day

None reported

Per Estimated from 600 MW using LBNL benchmark 9,000–13,000 gal/day/MW at WUE 1.8–2.5 L/kWh, 80% utilization. No closed-loop requirement confirmed for this campus., based on No public water use disclosure from developer or city found. Standard benchmark applied.

Estimated daily water use5.4M – 7.8M gal/day

vs. 5M gal/day (typical 400 MW facility)

The higher estimate is equivalent to the daily water use of approximately 78,000 households. San Marcos has approximately 25,000 households.

Water intake
5.4M – 7.8M gal/day
Lost to evaporation
100%
Returned to system
0% (None reported)
Water flow: 5.4M – 7.8M gal/day enters the facility per day. Approximately 100% (7.8M gal/day) is lost to evaporative cooling and cannot be recovered. No return flow is reported.
For comparison: A sustainable seawater-cooled data center can return over 95% of water to the system. A typical land-based evaporative cooling tower loses 80–95% to evaporation — the primary method used in Texas.

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: US-79 & CR 132, Hutto, Williamson County, TX

Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone:Outside recharge zone

Water source: City of Hutto Water (Heart of Texas groundwater + Manville WSC + City of Taylor surface water)

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Infrastructure

Water provider
City of Hutto Water
Power provider
ERCOT / Oncor

This project needs your attention.

Partially Operational

Coming online — watch for expansion applications and compliance

Expansion applications go through the same permit process as the original project. If actual water use already exceeds permitted projections, that's a documented basis for opposing an expansion — or renegotiating conditions.

Timeline

  1. April 9, 2026

    Hutto residents air concerns over PowerCampus water and power demands at public session

    Community Impact reported that Hutto residents voiced concerns about the PowerCampus Austin campus's cumulative water consumption, power demand, and infrastructure strain as the campus continues to expand. At 600 MW full buildout, estimated water use is 5.4–7.8 million gallons per day on Hutto's primarily groundwater-dependent supply.

    Source →(opens in new tab)
  2. August 1, 2025

    Skybox files with TDLR for $125M Building 2 at PowerCampus Austin

    Skybox Datacenters filed plans with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in August 2025 for Building 2 of PowerCampus Austin, a $125 million project covering interior improvements to a 235,730-sq-ft facility. This marked the second building of the six-building campus to enter the permitting pipeline.

    Source →(opens in new tab)
  3. May 1, 2024

    Williamson County EDP confirms PowerCampus incentives secured

    The Williamson County Economic Development Partnership confirmed that the multibillion-dollar Skybox/Prologis PowerCampus Austin campus had secured all required local incentive agreements. The first building was reported to be delivering capacity in 2024 and was later reported fully leased.

    Source →(opens in new tab)
  4. July 25, 2023

    Skybox and Prologis announce 600 MW PowerCampus Austin in Hutto

    Skybox Datacenters and Prologis publicly announced PowerCampus Austin, a planned 600 MW, 3.9-million-sq-ft hyperscale campus on 220 acres at the intersection of US-79 and CR 132 in Hutto. The $10+ billion development would span six buildings with two dedicated 300 MW substations, making it one of the largest planned data center campuses in the United States.

    Source →(opens in new tab)
  5. July 20, 2023

    Hutto City Council approves PowerCampus Chapter 312 tax abatement agreement

    Hutto City Council approved a Chapter 312 tax abatement agreement for the Skybox/Prologis PowerCampus Austin development on July 20, 2023. The 10-year abatement caps property valuation at 50% for a decade in exchange for Skybox's commitment to a $10 billion assessed value investment — more than doubling Hutto's entire existing $4–5 billion property tax base.

    Source →(opens in new tab)

Documents

Sources

  1. 1. Skybox, Prologis Plan Massive 600-Megawatt Data Center Campus in Austin — Data Center Frontier, 2023-07-25. Link →(opens in new tab)
  2. 2. Multibillion-dollar data center campus proposed in Williamson County secures incentives — Williamson County EDP, 2024-05-01. Link →(opens in new tab)
  3. 3. Hutto residents air concerns over proposed data center — Community Impact, 2026-04-09. Link →(opens in new tab)

Community Notes

At 600 MW full buildout, estimated water consumption of 5.4–7.8 million gallons per day would represent a substantial new load on Hutto's primarily groundwater-dependent water system during Stage 3 drought. A second Skybox expansion (140 acres) is in early planning. The $10B capital commitment is the largest economic development in Williamson County history.