By Jackson Keenan
Editor-in-Chief
A new data center in Temple is drawing both praise for potential economic benefits and concerns about water and energy usage.
On January 5, 2026, Rowan Digital Infrastructure announced that construction was underway for its 300-megawatt hyperscale data center in Temple. Along with the project, Rowan agreed to invest a minimum of $700 million in Bell County.
Representatives praised the project and what it brings to the area, while some Temple residents have begun to push back.
City of Temple Public Information Officer Megan Price said, “Data centers can bring both immediate and long-term benefits to the community. The project represents a minimum $700 million investment in the Temple community, and a total economic footprint of more than $1.2 billion.”
While city officials are praising the new center, some citizens have concerns, including Sarah Roberts Royer, head of the Facebook group Stop Temple Data Centers. “It starts with water issues and power issues,” Royer said.
On the topic of water, Rowan has committed to using a closed-loop cooling system. According to the city, the closed-loop system will use less water over the next decade than Temple uses in a single day.
“The cooling system for each facility at the center will be filled once with approximately 1.5 million gallons, designed to last 10 to 15 years. For context, the City of Temple uses about 15 to 20 million gallons per day,” Price said.
However, there is some concern about outside temperatures, especially in Texas, where temperatures often average over 90 degrees. According to both the U.S. Department of Energy and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, outside temperature does not increase water usage in a closed-loop cooling system but does impact energy usage.
Still, there are water concerns in Central Texas, and some citizens do not want to take any chances. “The water issue is such a huge problem. Why would we continue to even talk to data centers,” Royer said.
Beyond water issues, there have also been concerns about energy consumption. According to Windows World Nebuis, a 300-megawatt data center in New Jersey uses enough energy to power 220,000 homes.
Rowan Digital Infrastructure says it is using energy from its old data center and is also committed to 100% renewable energy.
“Power is reallocated from a former data center campus in Temple, so there be no need for additional major transmission infrastructure and no concern about increasing energy costs for the community,” Rowan Digital Infrastructure Director of Public Relations Nathaniel Brown said.
Royer is still worried Rowan cannot generate enough of its own renewable energy to avoid brownouts and blackouts, especially during the winter when energy use is higher.
Although there are plenty of questions from some residents, Brown said Rowan is determined to be as transparent as possible.
“We want to make sure there are no surprises for anyone in the community, whether it’s related to water technology, development milestones or any large changes,” Brown said.
For more information, visit the City of Temple’s website at templetx.gov. Project details are typically shared through City Council agendas, planning and zoning materials, and public communications channels. For additional details about the Rowan data center, visit rowan.digital.
