Temple / Bell County — Texas
Temple, Bell County, Texas
LOW RISK
Trajectory: Multiple unanimous council approvals, Rowan 300MW construction underway, Meta $800M investment, 269-acre rezoning advancing through P&Z.
Last updated 2026-03-29
Investment Thesis
Temple demonstrates an improving trajectory with multiple unanimous approvals, active construction, and $800M Meta investment. Rezoning is required but consistently approved. Only market with "Improving" trajectory.
Temple is the only market in the entire index with an Improving trajectory. Every data center vote has been unanimous. Rowan's 300 MW project is under construction on 700 acres. Meta invested $800 million. A separate 269-acre rezoning is advancing through the planning commission. Oncor is building new transmission infrastructure. And Texas counties legally cannot impose moratoriums. Temple is not merely approving data centers — it is building an economy around them.
Only market with an Improving trajectory. Multiple unanimous council approvals (5-0). Rowan 300 MW construction underway. Meta $800M invested. 269-acre rezoning advancing.
Temple UDC defines "Data Center (Large)" explicitly — one of the few municipal codes that formally categorizes the use. Rezoning from AG to PD-LI is required but consistently approved.
Texas counties legally cannot impose development moratoriums (HB-2559). This structural advantage protects Temple from the county-level moratorium wave affecting Indiana, Ohio, and Minnesota.
Oncor partnership: Bell County East Switch operational, 765 kV transmission line filed, $36B capital plan (2025-2029). Water service agreement approved by council.
A public opposition group, "Stop Temple Data Centers," exists (Sarah Royer). 13 speakers opposed a utility service agreement. The opposition exists but has achieved zero blocking outcomes.
Inside this score
How the 100 points break down.
Each dimension is scored out of its own weight, and the four add up to the score. A higher score is a clearer market-level path; it is not a likelihood of approval for a parcel.
- Regulatory Riskweight 3020 / 30
What it reads, and where it stops
Measures zoning classification, approval pathway type (by-right, CUP, rezoning), moratorium status, and regulatory trajectory. Higher scores indicate clearer regulatory paths.
Reads the written route and the stated direction of a market's rules as of the edition date. It does not read a particular parcel's zoning, and a rule recorded here can change at the next meeting of the body.
- Infrastructure Readinessweight 2519 / 25
What it reads, and where it stops
Measures utility capacity, grid interconnection availability, water supply adequacy, and infrastructure investment commitments. Higher scores indicate better infrastructure readiness.
Reads the utility, grid, water and investment record for the market. It does not confirm capacity at a given site, and delivery timelines for power and water are separate from entitlement risk.
- Opposition Densityweight 2517 / 25
What it reads, and where it stops
Measures organized opposition groups, petition scale, public hearing attendance, political consequences (elections, recalls), and legal challenges. Higher scores indicate less opposition.
Reads organised opposition that shows on the public record: groups, petitions, hearings, elections and legal challenges. A quiet record is not evidence of support, and a loud one is not a count of votes.
- Approval Timelineweight 2014 / 20
What it reads, and where it stops
Measures historical approval durations, number of sequential approval steps, legal challenges affecting timeline, and demonstrated fast-track capabilities. Higher scores indicate faster approvals.
Reads how long recorded approvals have taken and how many sequential steps they needed. Past duration is a record of what happened, not a schedule for the next application.
20 + 19 + 17 + 14 = 70 of 100 · Low Risk
Dimension Breakdown
How this market scores across four dimensions.
Regulatory Risk
30 pts
Rezoning from AG to PD-LI required for every DC project but consistently approved unanimously (5-0 votes). UDC defines "Data Center (Large)" explicitly. Texas counties cannot impose moratoriums.
Score: 20/30. Rezoning from AG to PD-LI required for every project but consistently approved unanimously (5-0). UDC defines the use explicitly. Texas prohibits county moratoriums.
Infrastructure Readiness
25 pts
Oncor partnership with existing Bell County East Switch. New 765 kV transmission line filed. Oncor $36B capital plan (2025-2029). Temple approved water service agreement for DC development.
Score: 19/25. Oncor is the dedicated utility partner with Bell County East Switch, new 765 kV transmission, and $36B capital plan. Water service agreement approved. Oncor interconnection queue has 600+ requests statewide — the queue is the constraint.
Opposition Density
25 pts
A public opposition group, Stop Temple Data Centers, exists. 13 speakers opposed a utility service agreement. Concerns focus on water, noise, electricity, property values. No blocking outcomes.
Score: 17/25. Facebook opposition group exists. 13 speakers opposed a utility service agreement. Concerns about water, noise, electricity, property values. But no blocking outcomes — every vote has passed unanimously.
Approval Timeline
20 pts
Efficient rezoning process. Rowan: announced September 2025, first reading 5-0, construction underway January 2026, operations expected 2027. Separate 269-acre rezoning advancing through P&Z.
Score: 14/20. Rowan: announced September 2025, first reading 5-0, construction underway January 2026, operations expected 2027. Efficient but rezoning still required for each project, preventing a higher score.
Key Findings
What the evidence supports.
Temple UDC defines "Data Center (Large)" as 10,000+ SF facilities for digital processing, transfer, and storage.
Temple UDC Section 5.1Temple Council voted 5-0 to approve annexation of 706 acres and rezoning for Rowan DC on first reading.
CitizenPortalMeta invested $800M in hyperscale DC through Polmer LLC on 393 acres.
City of Temple news releaseRowan construction underway on 300MW project spanning 700 acres — largest Texas project.
Rowan press releaseIncentives & Programs
Why developers are choosing here.
Dates on the record
Dates on the record.
As of the 29 Mar 2026 edition
No date after the 29 Mar 2026 edition is on the record for Temple.
Only dates that this market's own timeline gives. No outcome is named.
Known Risks
No market is risk-free. Here's what to watch.
The credibility of a favorable score depends on honest risk disclosure. These risks are documented in public records.
Rezoning from AG to PD-LI required for every project
Facebook opposition group exists but has not achieved blocking outcomes
13 speakers opposed utility service agreement at one meeting
Oncor interconnection queue has 600+ requests (state level)
Recommendation
LOW RISK — Score 70/100
Standard process expected. Temple is the only market showing an Improving trajectory, with multiple unanimous approvals and active construction.
From the record
What the public record holds for Temple.
Each case file below is a verified public record with its sources attached; each note is a dated research note. They sit beside this market's score; they do not change it.
Case files elsewhere in Texas
- Fort Worth approved FedEx truck parking for two yearsIndustrial · Fort Worth, Texas
- San Marcos denied the Francis Harris Lane map amendmentData centers · San Marcos, Texas
Notes about Texas
- The cost of a data center is not in the land or the shell anymoreJurisdiction Data · 13 Apr 2026
Sector page: Data centers
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