With Texas' Data Center Boom, Uncertainty Is the Business Plan

The Texas Observer examines the rapid expansion of data centers in Texas and argues that uncertainty is becoming a defining feature of the business model. The article connects AI infrastructure demand with questions about electricity supply, project financing, local economic effects, and whether announced capacity will translate into sustained demand. Its central concern is the gap between speculative construction plans and dependable workloads, an issue that matters as hyperscalers and infrastructure investors commit capital ahead of clearly observable AI revenues. The piece places the boom within broader debates over grid planning, public costs, and regional development.