Fort Bliss Army data center (Carlyle)
Also called: Fort Bliss Enhanced Use Lease data center
The U.S. Army wants a private company to build a giant AI data center on Fort Bliss land in East El Paso. It could use more electricity than all of El Paso uses today. The power source, water plan and costs to the public have not been settled.
Where things stand: The Army picked Carlyle in March 2026 to negotiate. No final deal was public as of the last report. An environmental review is still needed.
🕒 Latest update (May 21, 2026): U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar wrote to the Secretary of the Army asking for more openness. She said the Army plans to finish its environmental review by the end of 2026, which she called too fast.
What we know
- 📍 WhereFederal Army land at Fort Bliss in far East El Paso, near Loop 375 and Montana Avenue, next to El Paso Electric's Montana power station. City and county zoning do not apply to federal land., El Paso, El Paso County
- 🏢 CompanyThe Carlyle Group (conditionally selected)
- 🌳 Size1,384 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs3,000 megawatts (about as much as 2,400,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromNot decided. Army officials said gas turbines are the most likely power source. It is not known if it would connect to the El Paso Electric grid.
- 💧 WaterNot decided: Fort Bliss wells or El Paso Water, both from the Hueco Bolson aquifer. The Army says it will be 'water neutral'.
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Has the Army signed a final lease with Carlyle? 🙋 I'll find out
- Where will the power come from, and will new gas plants be built? 🙋 I'll find out
- How will the Army make the site 'water neutral'? 🙋 I'll find out
- When will the Army hold public meetings on the environmental review? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will the data center pay any local property taxes? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- March 26, 2026The Army said it conditionally picked the Carlyle Group to build and run an AI data center on 1,384 acres of Fort Bliss land.
- April 22, 2026The Army held a public listening meeting in El Paso. Residents raised worries about water, air pollution and secrecy.
- April 30, 2026Reporting showed the site could need 3 gigawatts by 2029, more than El Paso Electric's whole system (about 2.9 gigawatts).
- May 21, 2026U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar wrote to the Secretary of the Army asking for more openness. She said the Army plans to finish its environmental review by the end of 2026, which she called too fast.
Local votes and rules
📌 Other
El Paso City Council unanimously approved its first Data Center Policy Framework. Future very large (hyperscale) data centers will need a special permit with a public hearing and a City Council vote. The city will not give local tax breaks to new hyperscale data centers and will ask for community benefit deals instead. It does not apply to the Meta data center already being built in Northeast El Paso.
🤝 Agreement with the company
After nearly 200 public comments, El Paso City Council voted 5-3 against starting talks to end the city's 2023 incentive deal with Meta for its data center in Northeast El Paso. The mayor said ending a binding contract would put taxpayers at risk.
Drag the slider to compare the land before and now.
Where this comes from
- Army picks companies for commercial data centers at Fort Bliss and Dugway · DefenseScoop · March 26, 2026
- Proposed Fort Bliss data center could use more power than all of El Paso · Texas Tribune / El Paso Matters · April 30, 2026
- 'We have to push our leaders': expert on Fort Bliss data center project community meeting · KVIA · April 22, 2026
- Rep. Escobar letter to the Secretary of the Army on Fort Bliss data center · Office of Rep. Veronica Escobar · May 21, 2026
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