QTS Data Centers and Lancium have announced plans to develop a major data center campus in Hall County, Texas, near the small city of Turkey, with the project expected to draw more than USD 10 billion in capital investment and generate thousands of jobs in one of the state's rural communities.

A Rural Texas County at the Center of a Major Infrastructure Deal

The announcement positions Hall County as the site of one of the more significant data center investments in recent memory. Under the agreement, QTS will design, build, and operate the data center buildings on land owned by Lancium, which operates what it calls a Clean Campus near Turkey, Texas.

Lancium will provide the electrical and civil infrastructure for the site, while QTS takes responsibility for the facilities themselves.

Hall County Judge Ray Powell expressed support for the project, noting that it represents a chance to grow the local economy and support small businesses.

Powell credited Lancium with engaging county leadership and the broader community ahead of the announcement and welcomed QTS as the project moves into its next phase.

Turkey is a small city in the Texas Panhandle, and Hall County has historically been an agricultural community.

The scale of the proposed investment marks a sharp departure from the region's economic base and reflects a broader national trend of large technology infrastructure projects moving into rural areas with available land and energy resources.

Jobs and Tax Revenue Promised to Hall County

According to the announcement, the project is expected to create up to 7,000 construction jobs at peak construction activity. Once operational, it is projected to support approximately 350 permanent positions, a figure that includes QTS employees along with maintenance, security, and tenant jobs.

Beyond direct employment, QTS and Lancium say the development will generate new tax revenue for Turkey and Hall County.

The companies have also pledged to partner with local schools and workforce programs to build career pathways in construction and data center operations.

They have committed to providing direct support for local priorities identified through community engagement, including water infrastructure, schools, and first responders.

Both companies say they will fund public meetings and maintain open communication with residents as the project advances, including regular opportunities for community members to ask questions and provide feedback.

A dedicated project page has been established at Q.com/data-centers/hall-county.

Energy Infrastructure and Grid Integration

One of the more distinctive elements of the arrangement is how the project plans to handle its power supply.

Lancium and QTS have stated that they will fund 100 percent of the energy infrastructure improvements necessary to support the campus. Lancium, as the campus owner, intends to bring its own power to the site through a combination of battery storage and solar resources.

Michael McNamara, Founder and CEO of Lancium, said the company's model is designed to support grid stability and reliability rather than strain it. He described the campus as an asset to the grid and emphasized what he characterized as the long-term economic and societal benefits to Hall County.

Lancium describes itself as an energy technology and infrastructure company that designs and operates gigawatt-scale campuses integrating grid interconnects, behind-the-meter generation, and storage.

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, the company says its power management capabilities allow its campuses to function as grid assets while handling demanding computational workloads.

All energy infrastructure improvements are described as being designed both to support the data center project and to modernize the broader grid in ways that benefit existing customers in the region.

Water Use and Environmental Considerations

Water consumption has become a flashpoint in debates over data center siting, particularly in arid or semi-arid regions of the American Southwest and Plains.

QTS has addressed this concern directly in its announcement, stating that the Hall County campus will use a closed-loop cooling system that does not consume water for cooling once it becomes operational.

The company says this approach will significantly reduce water usage compared to traditional cooling methods.

Additionally, QTS states that all water needed for the campus is expected to come from on-site wells or be brought in from approved external sources.

The company has explicitly committed that the project will not draw from Turkey's municipal water system.

QTS's Approach and Company Background

QTS describes itself as a global data center company with more than two decades of experience building and operating facilities across the United States, with a presence in North America and Europe.

The company serves hyperscale technology companies, enterprises, and government entities and characterizes its scale as operating at the gigawatt level.

Tag Greason and David Robey, Co-CEOs of QTS, said in a joint statement that the company aims to be a responsible neighbor in Turkey and Hall County.

They emphasized a commitment to listening to residents, investing in local priorities, and supporting sustainable growth for families and businesses in the area.

The two executives framed the project as a long-term presence that the company intends to maintain for decades.

QTS cites what it calls a Commitment to Communities as a guiding principle in how it approaches development in new locations, describing a practice of partnering with local stakeholders throughout the buildout process.