Summary
- Data center, cryptocurrency, and AI growth in the United States is driving significant new electricity demand
- Texas is the fastest-growing U.S. data-center market, with power demand surging.
- Solar infrastructure is increasingly a topic of discussion in order to meet this energy need in a sustainable way, and Mission Solar is uniquely positioned to answer the demand for data center solar power
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital services is reshaping how energy infrastructure is planned in the United States. Data centers, which were previously niche industrial facilities, are now among the fastest-growing sources of electricity demand, with Texas specifically leading the charge on both power demand and computing growth in the US. As developers and utility infrastructure work to keep pace, solar energy is increasingly becoming a central player in the conversation of how data centers will get powered at scale, behind the meter.
Why Solar Power and Texas Land are so Relevant to Data Centers and AI
Data centers are massively energy-intensive, thanks to the huge hardware power draw and cooling required to enable at-scale AI and cloud computing, as well as crypto mining. The Department of Energy reported that power demand from these data centers is expected to triple in the next two years, a growth in demand so substantial that no one power source is readily able to step up to meet the need.
Solar alone may not be expected to serve as the sole power source for data centers as of today, but it is a quickly growing component in the industry-wide question of power delivery. Solar is unique in that it balances reliability, scalability, and unlocks long-term planning given the predictability of energy availability, while also serving as the most affordable energy currently available.
Texas has emerged as a focal point for both data center growth and solar development thanks to a combination of legislation, population, and geography. The state combines large tracts of available land, strong solar availability, and a power market that has historically supported rapid infrastructure buildout.
For data center developers, Texas offers proximity to growing skilled population centers and favorable conditions for scaling energy projects. For solar developers, the state’s geography and market structure have made it one of the most active regions for utility-scale and commercial solar installations in the country.
Combined with giants in the tech industry rapidly moving to Texas from states like California, these overlapping trends have poised the state as a natural testing ground for the future of solar and data center development.
Where Mission Solar Fits into This Landscape
Mission Solar has a unique stake in conversations surrounding energy demand in Texas— since 2014, Mission Solar has proudly powered America from our base in San Antonio, connecting us directly to many of the markets where data center and solar development overlap.
Being located in a state where solar deployment and large-scale energy demand are advancing in parallel gives Mission Solar firsthand exposure to how these projects are planned, timed, and executed, while also making it possible to offer behind the meter solutions for data centers looking to scale their energy production quickly and affordably.
The projects being built in Texas today, along with the challenges they face, help define best practices that will be coming later in other regions. While increased load growth by nature will drive the need for more generation, and as a result solar, given that solar can deploy quicker and more cost efficiently than other forms of generation, datacenters are separately and increasingly looking to behind the meter solutions to be able to get their operations online quicker. Mission Solar supports EPCs working in complex project environments where solar is one component of a broader system, helping teams navigate evolving requirements as these types of projects continue to shape conversations around energy deployment.
For more information regarding sourcing Mission Solar products as behind the meter solutions for industrial or commercial applications, please contact our sales team or visit our C&I page.
FAQs
Q: Why are data centers using solar energy?
A: Solar offers a scalable, predictable, and highly affordable generation option that can be deployed relatively quickly and integrated with other power sources.
Q: Why is Texas so important for datacenters?
A: Texas combines land, business-friendly legislation, and market dynamics that support large-scale, fast-moving projects.
Q: What do developers need to know about installing solar for data centers?
A: Data center solar projects are typically larger and more complex than standard commercial rooftop installations, requiring coordination with procurement and broader timelines.