El Paso
West Texas border city of about 680,000 people; site of Meta's $10bn data centre.
Meta raised its El Paso data-centre plan to 1 GW and more than $10bn on 26 March 2026. The 366 MW McCloud gas plant proposed to power it won a recommendation to approve on 24 September but still lacks a final state order.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for El Paso
Mentioned in: Judge Ali voids FEMA election conditions
US Midterms 2026Mentioned in: DOE lets PJM switch off data centres
Data Centres: Boom and BacklashxAI wins 41 gas turbines for Colossus
Data Centres: Boom and BacklashBackground
El Paso is a city of about 680,000 people on the US-Mexico border in far West Texas, facing Ciudad Juárez across the Rio Grande, and the seat of El Paso County. Its economy rests on cross-border trade, the military presence at Fort Bliss and a growing industrial base.
Unlike most of Texas, El Paso is not on the ERCOT grid; its utility, El Paso Electric, belongs to the Western Interconnection. That difference shapes how large power users such as Meta's data centre are supplied.
The county also appears in national election litigation. It was among the parties affected when Judge Amir Ali struck down FEMA's election conditions on counterterrorism grants on 28 September 2026.
Meta's El Paso power plant awaits approval
Meta raised its El Paso data-centre site to 1 GW and more than $10bn of investment on 26 March 2026, one of the largest industrial commitments the city has seen. Its power is meant to come from McCloud, a 366 MW gas plant that El Paso Electric wants to build for the site.
That plant is not yet approved. An administrative law judge recommended approval on 24 September, but the Public Utility Commission of Texas has issued no final order. The city itself opposed the plant on 18 June. The proposal fits a wider 2026 turn towards dedicated gas generation for AI sites, from xAI's turbines in Memphis onwards. For El Paso it would mean a new gas plant and fresh demand on water in an arid region.
Does Meta have a data centre in El Paso?
Is El Paso on the ERCOT grid?
Why is the El Paso data centre gas plant controversial?
How many people live in El Paso, Texas?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 1 October 2026. Editorial standards.