Responsible Data Center Growth: How IREN Builds in Texas

Texas is asking the right questions about data center growth: how to ensure Texans reap the benefits while protecting their natural resources. At IREN, that has been our approach from day one. 

Governor Abbott's recent directive calls for transparency on power and water use, grid reliability, and community protection in data center development. These are the right priorities, and they reflect how IREN has operated in Texas from day one. Reviews that ensure projects are in Texans' best interests help credible development move forward. Transparency builds trust. That is why IREN was among the small minority of companies that responded to the Public Utility Commission of Texas' survey on energy and water use. 

IREN builds data centers the right way. We hire locally. We live in the communities where we operate, and support them through training, local sponsorships, investment in community infrastructure and grants to community organizations. Our data centers don’t evaporate water for cooling; we recirculate it in a modern closed-loop system. Our commitment to responsible development and operation has guided our work in rural West Texas for years. That’s why we build our sites with significant setbacks from residential neighborhoods.  

Our Childress campus is a prime example. We located it several miles outside of town and funded all necessary grid upgrades to support the project. Its modern cooling system doesn’t rely on the local water supply. We have created over 200 permanent jobs, many of which are filled by Childress locals, making us one of the largest employers in the county. On top of that, we have hired thousands of construction workers and engaged local contractors over several years. We’re taking this approach at our Sweetwater campus as well. 

At IREN, we’re proudly investing billions of dollars and creating thousands of jobs in Texas, including at our new global operations hub in Fort Worth. Texas has been central to our growth, and we intend to keep building here the way we always have: responsibly, and for the long term. We look forward to working with the Governor's office, the PUCT and ERCOT as these standards take shape.