Data Center Projects in Angelina County, Texas

Last verified: October 27, 2026 · 1 tracked project · 4 tracked records

Overview

Texas Data Center Watch tracks one data center project in Angelina County: the Amp Z Champion Data Center at the former Southland Paper Mill east of Lufkin, listed as proposed / in development.

The City of Lufkin's FAQ says the project is in the planning phase and hasn't been approved for construction. It relays developer estimates of about 30 permanent and 500 construction jobs, and closed-loop cooling using about 500 gallons of treated water a day after the initial fill (City of Lufkin FAQ). Those are developer estimates, not permit limits.

DCD reported in February that Amp Z holds an option on about 1,041 acres at the mill site, and that the company's website describes a ramp to about 2.1 GW, including 1 GW of on-site generation by 2029 (DCD). Those are company figures. The Lufkin Daily News reports more than $1B in projected investment, and that County Judge Keith Wright said the county rejected Amp Z's 10-year property tax abatement application and the developer hadn't submitted another as of Oct. 10 (Lufkin Daily News).

The Oct. 13, 2026 Commissioners Court agenda included discussion and action on a proposal for legal research and drafting of a road-use agreement between the county and AMP Z Champion Data Center Holdings LLC (agenda). The936.com notes this would authorize legal work, not approve a finished agreement. As of Oct. 16, 2026, Texas Data Center Watch has not recorded an outcome (minutes/vote) for that item.

Tracked projects

Project	Developer	Status	Capacity / size	Investment	Key dates	Sources
Amp Z Champion Data Center (Project LufKin / former Southland Paper Mill), Lufkin area (east of city, US Hwy 103 / former Southland–Abitibi mill)	Amp Z Champion Data Center Holdings LLC (Amp Energy affiliate per DCD); site option from Verdant Industries entities (per Lufkin Daily News citing county property records)	Proposed / in development	About 1,041 acres under purchase option at the former Southland Paper Mill (Lufkin Daily News citing county property records, via DCD). Company website claims (via DCD, Feb 2026): 55 MW grid connection now, 175 MW in 2026, 1.1 GW grid by 2028, plus 1 GW self-generation by 2029 for ~2.1 GW ultimate — company figures, not county-verified	More than $1B projected investment (per Lufkin Daily News, Oct 10 2026, news; not a county figure)	Planning phase · not approved for construction (City of Lufkin FAQ, official, opened Oct 13 2026). Feb 2026 DCD: Amp Z option on ~1,041 acres (news). County Judge Keith Wright: 10-year property tax abatement application rejected · developer had not submitted another as of Oct 10 2026 (Lufkin Daily News, news). Oct 13 2026 Angelina County Commissioners Court agenda item: discussion/action on proposal for legal research and drafting of a road-use agreement between Angelina County and AMP Z Champion Data Center Holdings LLC, fees from Legal Services (official agenda COM-AGEN101326.pdf). Meeting 10 a.m. · outcome not posted as of Oct 13 2026 (latest minutes on county site are Sep 8 2026). No official record of the abatement rejection found: Jun 9 2026 minutes record only discussion and public comment, Aug 25 2026 minutes record retaining Allison, Bass and Magee LLP for Ch. 312 work (minutes, official) · the rejection rests on Judge Wright's statement to the Lufkin Daily News (news)	Angelina County agenda · City of Lufkin FAQ · the936.com · Lufkin Daily News · DCD

Recorded benefits and concerns (Amp Z Champion Data Center (Project LufKin / former Southland Paper Mill)):

Benefits: City of Lufkin FAQ (developer estimates relayed by city): about 30 permanent and 500 construction jobs; closed-loop cooling with estimated treated water use about 500 gallons/day after initial fill (company/city FAQ, not a permit limit)
Concerns: Water use is the leading public concern (Lufkin Daily News); county says it has limited regulatory authority outside city limits without an abatement (news)

Sources for each project are linked in the table. Figures labeled "company" come from the developer.

Record timeline

Date	Type	What happened	Source
Oct 13, 2026	Commissioners court	Agenda: authorize legal research and drafting of road-use agreement with AMP Z Champion Data Center Holdings LLC.	Angelina County agenda
Oct 11, 2026	News	the936.com: Oct 13 court to consider authorizing legal work on Amp Z road-use agreement; not approval of a finished deal.	the936.com
Oct 10, 2026	News	Lufkin Daily News: county rejected Amp Z 10-year tax abatement; Judge Wright seeks clearer project and water estimates.	Lufkin Daily News
Feb 5, 2026	News	DCD: Amp Z option on ~1,041-acre former Southland mill; company site claims ramp to ~2.1 GW with on-site generation.	DCD

What's next

These dates come from the tracker. Texas Data Center Watch has no recorded upcoming Angelina County hearings or votes on data centers.

Statewide permit pause: Under the Governor's Sept. 21 order halting permits sought by data centers (Governor's office), TCEQ sent its Oct. 19 compliance letter: it says permits for infrastructure directly supporting data centers are paused, pending applications are being screened, and claimed authorizations are suspended where possible (TCEQ letter). The Texas Tribune reported Oct. 20 that TCEQ says stormwater permits flagged by Public Citizen were suspended (Texas Tribune). On Oct. 21 TCEQ posted that its STEERS e-filing system for automatic authorizations is temporarily shut down so staff can check whether applications relate to data centers (TCEQ STEERS notice); the Texas Tribune reports a spokesman said applications must be physically provided (Texas Tribune, Oct. 21). The tracker doesn't show whether any project in Angelina County has a pending TCEQ permit.

Frequently asked questions

What data center projects are tracked in Angelina County, Texas? One: Amp Z Champion Data Center (Project LufKin / former Southland Paper Mill) in Lufkin area (east of city, US Hwy 103 / former Southland–Abitibi mill), listed as proposed / in development.

Did Angelina County approve a tax abatement for Amp Z? No. The Lufkin Daily News reports that the county rejected Amp Z's 10-year abatement application (Lufkin Daily News).

How much water would the Amp Z data center use? The City of Lufkin's FAQ relays a developer estimate of about 500 gallons of treated water a day after the initial fill, using closed-loop cooling (City of Lufkin FAQ). That's an estimate, not a permit limit.

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