Fluidstack, 텍사스 Cameron County에서 $4 billion AI 데이터센터 캠퍼스 기공, 엄격한 환경 보호 조건 적용
AI infrastructure developer Fluidstack has officially broken ground on the first phase of a $4 billion data center campus in unincorporated Cameron County, Texas, following issuance of a worksite permit by local authorities. The facility spans more than 1,100 acres situated east of FM 509 and west of FM 106, positioned east of Valley International Airport in Harlingen and west of the Port of Harlingen near the City of Rio Hondo.
The development was designed from inception to comply with directives from Governor Greg Abbott, regulatory mandates from the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), and Cameron County Resolution No. 2026R04056. Fluidstack will receive no tax breaks or county incentives and will assume full costs for energy, infrastructure, and water. The project is expected to create more than 2,500 construction jobs and several hundred permanent high-tech positions in the Rio Grande Valley.
"We pay our own way: our energy, our infrastructure, our water, and full local property taxes, and we build to the Governor's standards from day one," said Kate Franko, Head of Public Affairs at Fluidstack. "The Rio Grande Valley knows how to build big things, and we're hiring here first for construction, electrical, skilled trades, and permanent operations careers. We welcome oversight from elected officials, and if a neighbor ever has a concern, we'll address it quickly."
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr. confirmed that the worksite permit authorizes site clearing, land grading, utility installation, and surface infrastructure construction including access roads, parking lots, and stormwater retention ponds before vertical construction begins. While state law obligates the county to issue a permit once legal requirements are met, Treviño emphasized that local oversight will continue throughout development. "Cameron County's role in development is to review permit applications and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations," he stated. "The issuance of a permit does not alter the County's responsibility to monitor compliance with established standards and conditions throughout the development process."
Local officials praised the framework, pointing to its resource protections. Cameron County Commissioner David A. Garza, whose precinct includes the development site, said: "Fluidstack is doing it right, and that's why Cameron County is proud to welcome them. They are investing in and paying for their own energy and infrastructure, ensuring those costs do not fall on our residents. They will also pay their full share of local taxes, while maintaining extremely low water usage—an especially important consideration for our region. Just as importantly, Fluidstack is working with local leaders to help address longstanding regional challenges."
State Senator Adam Hinojosa characterized the facility as a blueprint for responsible development. "Data centers looking to come into Texas should strengthen the communities they enter, not drain the resources those communities depend on," he stated. "It is good to see companies like Fluidstack voluntarily holding themselves to a higher standard before it is even required by law. Their commitment to securing their own power and water resources, working closely with local leaders, and investing in good-paying jobs is the kind of responsible growth we can get behind in the Rio Grande Valley."
Fluidstack and county officials detailed technical commitments addressing environmental concerns. The campus utilizes an industrial closed-loop cooling system with tank capacity smaller than an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Water is filled once and recycled indefinitely, supplied by the East Rio Hondo Water Supply Corporation—a non-governmental utility—leaving municipal water supplies unaffected. Operations are capped at a strict 60-decibel limit at the property line, equivalent to normal conversational speech, with earthen berms and dense tree lines absorbing acoustic output. All energy and transmission infrastructure costs are funded directly by Fluidstack, preventing rate increases for residential customers. The facility remains subject to strict PUCT and ERCOT audit protocols. Local hiring pledges prioritize Rio Grande Valley workers for construction, electrical, and facility management positions that do not require four-year university degrees.
Founded in 2017 from Oxford University and headquartered in New York City, Fluidstack has emerged as a dominant global provider of dedicated artificial intelligence cloud infrastructure. The company builds, owns, and manages high-performance, single-tenant GPU clusters for frontier AI research labs, major technology corporations, and government entities. Fluidstack recently closed a $1.5 billion funding round led by Jane Street Capital at an $18 billion valuation, following an $830 million Series A round led by AI-focused investment firm Situational Awareness. The company previously announced a landmark $50 billion multi-year capacity agreement with AI research lab Anthropic to build custom data center infrastructure across North America. Fluidstack currently manages more than 100,000 top-tier GPUs, including NVIDIA H200 clusters, across a global footprint, earning the "ClusterMAX Gold" rating from industry analyst firm SemiAnalysis for infrastructure deployment speed and efficiency. Additional community benefit commitments developed with Cameron County leaders will be announced as formal agreements are finalized. Subsequent permits will be required before vertical construction begins.