Project News / Data Center
Stream-Linked Project Saltworks Grows to About 2,500 Acres Near Graham
Young County’s judge has identified November as a possible construction start while Graham weighs wastewater and reclaimed-water terms.
Project Saltworks, a proposed data center campus near Graham, has grown to approximately 2,500 acres, according to Young County’s judge. Headwaters Site Development LLC, an affiliate of Stream Data Centers, is developing the project. The judge said work could begin as early as November, with a tenant announcement expected around Thanksgiving.
Earlier plans called for as many as 15 data center buildings, and industry reporting cited a $10 billion developer estimate. The larger acreage gives a sense of the land now associated with the development. The first building’s size, construction value and delivery team remain unspecified, as does the relationship between the expanded acreage and the earlier building count.
Power delivery will require work beyond the data halls. Approximately 164 MW of grid capacity was reportedly acquired from Plug Power. Oncor is the utility, and the developer would pay for grid and substation upgrades. The reported capacity describes one part of the project’s power arrangements. A campus-wide load and a building-by-building energization schedule have yet to be disclosed.
The most detailed public terms concern the services Graham would provide. The city released a draft wastewater and reclaimed-water agreement on October 15 and held a special meeting on October 29. The draft would prohibit the use of drinking water for cooling, making reclaimed-water service part of the proposed operating arrangement.
Under the draft, the first building would pay the greater of $2 million or $4 per square foot. Each subsequent building would pay $750,000, with annual payments of at least $900,000 per building for 20 years. Those terms remain proposed. Headwaters withdrew its county tax-abatement request on October 13, a separate action from the city’s consideration of utility service.
The reported November start is a potential milestone. A confirmed start and tenant announcement would establish how much of the expanded site is moving into the first construction phase.
