Harlingen mayor remains skeptical of proposed $14B data center as others eye region

Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda said multiple developers may be looking at the city for future data center projects, even as she continues to question a proposed $14 billion investment she has been actively studying.

“There appears to be interest from other developers looking at Harlingen for potential data center projects,” Sepulveda said in a social media post on Tuesday. “While they have not engaged with us directly, it reinforces why this work matters.”

She said her focus extends beyond a single proposal.

“It’s about setting the standard for anything that may come our way,” she said. 

The update comes as the city continues to evaluate a proposed data center planned outside city limits near Valley International Airport.

The project, which remains in early stages, is projected to generate more than $9 billion in economic impact through 2045 and support about 1,000 jobs over time, including roughly 360 permanent positions.

But despite those projected benefits, its massive energy and water demands have fueled concerns among residents and local leaders.

At full buildout, the campus could require up to 2 gigawatts of electricity — with an initial phase alone using about 1 gigawatt, roughly enough to power 250,000 homes — along with millions of gallons of treated wastewater per day for cooling.

Read more: Texas is quickly becoming the nation’s data center capital. Here’s how Harlingen is trying to regulate it

Doing the homework

Sepulveda said she has been working to better understand how data centers operate, including traveling to another Texas city, which she did not name, where multiple facilities are already in use.

She made the trip with board members from the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation and Harlingen WaterWorks System, along with staff from both agencies, city staff, and Harlingen Commissioner Rene Perez.

“That community has embraced data centers because they are within their city limits and they’ve put ordinances in place that work for them,” she said. “You can see the investment in their community, and in many ways those projects are helping support their tax base. But they are not Harlingen.”

While they did not tour the actual data centers, Sepulveda said they saw them up close. 

“I was paying attention to the footprint and especially the noise. There was none,” she said. “The car I was in was louder than anything coming from those sites.”

Sepulveda also noted that those facilities relied on more advanced systems that did not require water for cooling, but cautioned that those conditions may not apply locally.

Sepulveda also pointed to the scale of infrastructure required to support that level of development.

“They also shared that their power infrastructure had to expand significantly to support that growth, going from one substation to several,” she said. 

Questions still unanswered

The mayor said she again met with Eneus Energy, the developer behind the proposed project. The meeting included community stakeholders, another commissioner — whom Sepulveda did not name — as well as EDC and Harlingen WaterWorks System representatives and city staff.

“We are still not getting all the answers we need,” she said.

One of the biggest unknowns is the identity of the end user, or the company that would operate the facility and ultimately determine its power, water, and infrastructure demands.

“The biggest issue is that the end user of the facility has not been identified,” Sepulveda said. “Without that, there are still too many unknowns, including how the facility would be cooled and what resources it would ultimately require.”

She emphasized that no approvals have been granted.

“The land is under contract, but that contract is contingent on them being able to move forward,” Sepulveda said. “This is not a done deal.”

Preparing for what comes next

As discussions continue, Sepulveda said the city is preparing potential safeguards that could apply to future data center development.

“I am continuing to work with our City Attorney on an ordinance to protect our resources, and we are also working through the legal process of putting a moratorium in place,” she said.

She also addressed confusion about the city’s authority, noting the proposed site lies outside Harlingen’s jurisdiction.

“This property is in the County. It is not in the City. We cannot simply annex it,” she said. “Under Texas law, annexation must be voluntary.”

Sepulveda said her next step is to meet with Cameron County leadership to discuss the project. 

“If something is happening near our boundary, coordination matters,” she said.

Skepticism remains

While she continues to gather information, Sepulveda reiterated that she remains skeptical about the proposed project. 

“I still do not see a clear benefit to the City of Harlingen,” she said.

She also welcomed continued public input as the city weighs its next steps.

“These are important conversations, and your voice is part of this process,” the mayor said.