The first building in EdgeConneX’s massive data center campus near Cedar Creek is on track for completion in June 2026. The 578,000-square-foot, two-story facility — known as AUS02 — represents a $440 million investment and the opening phase of what will become a $1.4 billion, four-building campus on approximately 140 acres near Wolf Lane and FM 535.
The project is the largest single private investment in Bastrop County history. And it raises questions that deserve honest, conservative answers.
The Facts
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Project | EdgeConneX AUS02 Data Center Campus |
| Location | Wolf Lane / FM 535, Cedar Creek |
| Total Campus Investment | ~$1.4 billion (4 buildings) |
| Phase 1 (AUS02) Cost | ~$440 million |
| Phase 1 Size | 578,000 sq ft, 2 stories |
| Power Capacity per Building | Up to 96 megawatts |
| Permanent Jobs (Phase 1) | ~60 |
| Tax Abatement | 10-year, 75% break on new county taxes above 2024 base |
| Target Completion (Phase 1) | June 2026 |
What This Means for Bastrop County
The Upside
A $1.4 billion investment brings tangible benefits:
- Tax revenue. Even with the 10-year abatement, the remaining 25% of new county taxes on a $440 million facility generates meaningful revenue. When the abatement expires, the full assessed value enters the tax base — potentially reducing the per-household tax burden for every homeowner in the county.
- Construction jobs. The multi-year buildout supports hundreds of construction-phase positions in the county.
- Regional positioning. The data center investment — along with other tech and industrial projects in the corridor — positions Bastrop County as a destination for advanced infrastructure investment, which brings ancillary economic activity.
The Questions Conservatives Should Be Asking
60 permanent jobs for a $440 million facility. That is a low jobs-to-investment ratio by any standard. Traditional manufacturing facilities of comparable investment create hundreds or thousands of permanent positions. Data centers are inherently low-employment operations — they house servers, not workers. Conservative economic development policy should prioritize investments that create lasting, well-paying jobs for local residents, not just impressive dollar figures.
96 megawatts per building. Four buildings means up to 384 megawatts of power demand from a single campus. That is a significant load on the regional power grid — the same grid that failed catastrophically during Winter Storm Uri in 2021. What guarantees exist that this demand will not strain electric reliability for existing residents? Who bears the cost of grid upgrades to serve this facility?
Water consumption. Data centers require substantial cooling, and cooling requires water. In a county where aquifer protection is a defining issue — where we fought Austin’s $1.5 billion ASR plan to protect our groundwater — the long-term water demand of a four-building data center campus deserves scrutiny. What is the projected water consumption? What is the source? And what happens to Bastrop County’s water future if three more buildings are built?
The abatement. A 10-year, 75% tax abatement is a significant concession. Bastrop County Commissioners approved it as an incentive to attract the project. Whether that was the right call depends on whether the long-term economics — post-abatement tax revenue, ancillary investment, and community impact — justify the decade of forgone revenue. BCC does not oppose tax abatements as a tool, but we believe taxpayers deserve full transparency on the cost-benefit analysis.
What BCC Is Watching
As AUS02 moves toward completion, BCC will be monitoring:
- Water impact data — real consumption numbers versus projections
- Grid reliability — any grid upgrades funded by ratepayers versus the operator
- Employment verification — actual permanent jobs created versus promised
- Abatement compliance — ensuring EdgeConneX meets all conditions tied to the tax break
- Phase 2–4 timeline — when and under what terms additional buildings proceed
Conservative governance does not mean opposing economic development. It means insisting on transparency, accountability, and a fair deal for taxpayers. Bastrop County welcomed EdgeConneX because the project was presented as a net positive for the community. BCC will hold that promise to the standard it deserves.
For BCC’s previous coverage of the EdgeConneX AUS02 data center, including a full analysis of the project’s background and community impact, read our original report: EdgeConneX AUS02: What Bastrop County Needs to Know.