Project Mustang would add another major data-center campus to eastern Williamson County, with plans for at least two data centers and approximately 477 megawatts of gas-powered on-site generation, according to Austin Free Press reporting.
The City of Taylor says the project sits on roughly 665 acres immediately east of the current city limits and includes both data-center facilities and on-site power-generation equipment. The city is negotiating a proposed annexation and development agreement with the developers.
Austin Free Press reported that Taylor officials say the city is not offering financial incentives and that annexation would allow Taylor to impose binding standards involving noise, setbacks, air quality, lighting, stormwater and water use.
On-site generation changes the regulatory picture
The same reporting says a Taylor spokesperson indicated Project Mustang plans to generate its own electricity and therefore would not need the same ERCOT interconnection approvals as projects seeking large new grid connections.
WLP Analysis
That distinction makes local review more important, not less. A project capable of generating hundreds of megawatts on site raises questions about fuel supply, emissions, noise, emergency response and neighboring property impacts in addition to the familiar questions about water and grid demand.
The public should see the proposed development agreement and the technical basis for every promised safeguard before annexation or other major approvals occur.
Sources
This article is original Wilco Liberty Project reporting and analysis based on the linked sources. External reporting is summarized and attributed; it is not republished.