El Paso Electric Proposes McCloud Gas Plant for Meta Data Center Amid Community Concerns
NATURAL GASDATA AND AI INFRASTRUCTURE
El Paso Electric has proposed the $473 million McCloud natural gas power plant to supply energy to Meta's data center, with plans for operation by 2027. Community concerns include reliance on natural gas over renewables, water resource consumption, and limited job creation, prompting the El Paso City Council to intervene in the approval process for transparency amid potential rate increases for local customers.

Jan 20, 2026, 5:01 PM