Aligned Breaks Ground on Major 540MW Data Center Campus in Northwest Texas
April 10, 2026
Aligned Data Centers has commenced construction on a massive new data center campus in Northwest Texas, marking a significant expansion for the company as it capitalizes on the surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing infrastructure. The move underscores the strategic shift of data center development to regions with available power and land, essential for supporting next-generation digital economies.
The company announced this week that work has started on "Project Caprock," located on a 313-acre site outside Abernathy in Hale County. Upon full build-out, the 540-megawatt campus will comprise six facilities totaling 1.65 million square feet of capacity. The first building, designated LBB‑01, is scheduled to be operational by the first quarter of 2027. Aligned is building and funding the dedicated electrical infrastructure required to power the campus in partnership with utility Xcel Energy, a measure it states is designed to protect local ratepayers from associated costs.
Andrew Schaap, CEO of Aligned, emphasized the project's dual focus. "We are proud to bring next-generation infrastructure to Hale County," Schaap said. "Our expansion into Northwest Texas proves we can meet both the increased capacity demands from customers while also meeting community demands for the responsible construction of AI infrastructure." The campus will utilize Aligned's proprietary DeltaFlow™ liquid cooling technology to manage the high-density workloads typical of AI operations.
Local officials hailed the project as a transformative economic driver. Julie Arrington, City Manager of Abernathy, stated, "Aligned’s decision to build this state-of-the-art campus in our area is a transformative moment for our city’s economic future. This project goes far beyond immediate job creation and capital investment; it is about creating sustainable, long-term opportunities right here at home." Arrington added that Aligned has been a respectful partner, committed to conserving the area's vital resources.
The Texas groundbreaking follows a period of substantial growth and change for Aligned. Last year, the company was acquired by a consortium including the AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), MGX, and BlackRock-owned Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) in a transaction valued at $40 billion. Aligned's portfolio includes campuses in key U.S. markets like Dallas, Phoenix, and Northern Virginia, with further developments planned in several states. Internationally, its footprint spans Latin America following the 2023 acquisition of OData, and it holds an investment in Canadian firm QScale. The development in Hale County, rumors of which surfaced in February, places Aligned alongside other operators like TeraWulf, which is also planning a campus in Abernathy to host AI cloud firm Fluidstack, signaling the region's emergence as a new data center hub.
Source: datacenterdynamics
