Data centers and new power in Hale County, TX

2.5 GW of new power is waiting to connect to the grid in Hale County, TX — 6 active requests. Typical wait: 4.8 years. 5 projects are built, 16 withdrawn. Data as of 14 October 2026.

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Is one near your house?

We have not mapped a large AI data center inside Hale County itself — but we track the biggest ones nationally, and requests to connect new power here are on the public record.

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The power picture

What is happening with electricity in Hale County

Every new power plant, battery or big customer has to join a waiting list before it can plug into the grid. This is what that list looks like in Hale County right now.

2.5 GW
of new power is waiting to connect
6 projects asked. Not yet approved. Roughly what 2 million homes use.
780 MW
has actually been built
5 projects switched on so far.
4.8 yrs
typical wait to plug in

Where every request ever filed here ended up

  • Built 19%
  • Still waiting 22%
  • Withdrawn 59%

Most requests in the US are withdrawn — a developer tests a site and moves on. That is normal, not a warning sign for Hale County.

What kind of power is asking to connect

  • Natural gas 56%
  • Batteries 24%
  • Solar 20%

By capacity requested. Data as of 14 October 2026.

All the numbers

27 requests ever filed
Pending applications
6
of 27 ever filed
Capacity queued
2.5 GW
requested, not committed
Already built
780 MW
5 projects connected
Built vs decided
23.8%
16 withdrawn
Median wait
4.8 yr
for applications still pending
Connected capacity
1.4 GW
indicator, see note

Source: interconnection queues published by ERCOT, SPP. Parsed and normalised by Watt Street. Data as of 14 October 2026. A queued project is a request, not a commitment.

Outcome of every request filed here

OutcomeProjectsCapacityShare
Built5780 MW18.5%
Still waiting62.5 GW22.2%
Withdrawn163.7 GW59.3%
Paused0—0.0%

Waiting to connect, by type of power

TypeProjectsCapacity requested
Natural gas31.4 GW
Batteries2604 MW
Solar1512 MW

Key dates for projects here

no dated windows published
QueueWhat closesClosesStanding
ERCOTERCOT Batch 1 large load interconnection - applications not yet dated
Successor cycle to Batch Zero under PGRR145.
No date published yetconfirmed source
ERCOTERCOT generation interconnection — rolling
Not FERC-jurisdictional.
Open all year — no cut-offunconfirmed source
FERCFERC large-load show cause — stakeholder comments on RTO responses
Comments on the six RTO/ISO responses to the FPA section 206 show-cause orders of 18 June 2026 (PJM EL26-67, SPP EL26-68, NYISO EL26-69, MISO EL26-70…
No date published yetunconfirmed source
FERCFERC RM26-4 — generic large-load rulemaking
Still at ANOPR stage.
No date published yetconfirmed source
FERCGeorgia PSC - Georgia Power must file large-load contracts 30 days before execution
A standing obligation rather than a dated one: large-load contracts must be filed with the commission at least 30 days before they are executed.
No date published yetconfirmed source
SPPSPP 2028 CPP Interconnection Cluster Study (ICS) application window
Definitive Interconnection System Impact Study cluster, post Order 2023 compliance.
No date published yetconfirmed source
ERCOTTexas SB 6 - large load curtailment protocol and equipment (PURA section 39.170(a))
All new large-load interconnections must carry ERCOT-controlled curtailment equipment.
Open all year — no cut-offconfirmed source

A date marked confirmed was checked by a person against the authority's own tariff, order or form page. Anything else is listed so you know it exists, with a link so you can check it yourself. Full calendar.

The biggest projects on file

top 15 by size
ProjectTypeCapacityStatusFiledQueue
Black Mountain Hale GasNatural gas991 MWactive2029-01ERCOT
Old Aqueduct SolarSolar512 MWactive2022-01ERCOT
GEN-2023-237Wind500 MWwithdrawn2023-10SPP
GEN-2008-125Natural gas330 MWwithdrawn2008-11SPP
GEN-2008-128Natural gas330 MWwithdrawn2008-12SPP
Hale Community W 1Wind322 MWwithdrawn2013-11ERCOT
Hale 1Wind322 MWwithdrawn2019-04ERCOT
Old Aqueduct BattBatteries303 MWactive2022-01ERCOT
Old Aqueduct BESS IIBatteries301 MWactive2028-01ERCOT
GEN-2015-068Wind300 MWwithdrawn2015-10SPP
GEN-2015-037Solar253 MWwithdrawn2015-09SPP
GEN-2010-033Wind230 MWwithdrawn2010-06SPP
GEN-2023-183Natural gas217 MWwithdrawn2023-10SPP
GEN-2010-032Wind216 MWwithdrawn2010-06SPP
Elk Unit 4Natural gas210 MWactive2027-01ERCOT

How Hale County compares

#139 in the US · #57 in TX

Hale County ranks #139 of 1,607 US counties by power waiting to connect, and #57 of 183 in Texas.

CountyWaitingCapacity queued
Pecos County5521.2 GW
Brazoria County5511.7 GW
Milam County339.2 GW
Wharton County409.1 GW
Jack County188.6 GW
Hill County238.0 GW
Reeves County217.8 GW
Wilbarger County207.0 GW

Common questions about power in Hale County

How long does it take to get power for a data center in Hale County, TX?

The median wait for a project still in the interconnection queue in Hale County is 4.8 years. Across the US, most large loads are quoted three to seven years depending on the market and whether network upgrades are needed. 5 projects in Hale County have reached energization and 16 were withdrawn, so the withdrawal rate here is a better guide to risk than any single quoted timeline.

How much capacity is available in Hale County, TX?

2.5 GW is currently requested across 6 active interconnection requests, and 780 MW has actually been built. A queued megawatt is a request, not deliverable capacity — most queued projects are never built. For deliverable offtake capacity at a specific substation you need a utility study, not a queue.

Is Hale County, TX a good site for a data center?

This page gives you the power half of that answer: what is queued, what has been energized, how long the wait runs, and which large load interconnection requests are already recorded nearby. The other half — the state policy position, moratoriums and large load tariffs — is on our Texas policy page.

Where does the data on this page come from?

The interconnection queue published by the transmission providers serving Hale County — ERCOT, SPP — parsed and normalised by Watt Street. Every figure carries the date it was true. Data as of 14 October 2026.

Go deeper on Hale County

The interactive map plots every one of these applications, and a generated county report puts them in a sourced PDF with the date each figure was true on every page.

Open Hale County on the map County reports All of Texas