[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-posts":3},[4,14,22],{"slug":5,"type":6,"category":7,"title":8,"excerpt":9,"date":10,"author":11,"cover":12,"coverLabel":11,"body":13},"w-land-power-ready-sites-texas-data-centers","news","digital_infrastructure","W Land Development to offer power-ready sites for Texas data center operators","Firm will act as a site developer rather than an owner or operator of data centers.","2026-08-11","Data Center Dynamics","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia?key=cover_1_16x9_a2d634603e.webp","\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Originally published by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.datacenterdynamics.com\u002Fen\u002Fnews\u002Fw-land-development-to-offer-power-ready-sites-for-texas-data-center-operators\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Data Center Dynamics\u003C\u002Fa> on August 11, 2026. Reproduced here for reference.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Texas developer W Land Development is expanding into the data center site preparation sector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Houston-based developer announced that it will now offer land acquisition, permitting, utility coordination, and infrastructure planning services to operators looking to build in the state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As part of its new offering, the firm will act as a site developer rather than an owner or operator, preparing parcels of land before handing them over to technology, energy, and infrastructure partners responsible for construction and operations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>W Land said its scope will include coordinating with utilities on power availability and interconnection, navigating permitting and entitlement processes, and evaluating sites for advanced energy planning, private-grid infrastructure, and water management.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The company was previously focused on residential land development through its \"Land to Living\" platform. It said that it will apply the same site-acquisition and utility-coordination strategy to digital infrastructure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For years, W Land has focused on transforming land into thriving communities through our land-to-living approach,\" said Ting Qiao, chairman of W Land Development. \"Residential development remains the foundation of our business and will continue to be our primary focus. As demand for digital infrastructure accelerates across Texas, we're applying the same expertise in land acquisition, entitlement, infrastructure planning and utility coordination that has driven our success in residential development to support the next generation of growth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Texas has become one of the largest US data center markets on the back of available land, comparatively low power costs, and ERCOT's grid. In February, JLL forecast that Texas was poised to become the world’s largest data center market by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.datacenterdynamics.com\u002Fen\u002Fnews\u002Fjll-texas-to-become-worlds-largest-data-center-market-by-2030\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2030\u003C\u002Fa>. At present, ERCOT is considering more than 474GW of connection requests, which is more than five times the state's record peak electricity demand. Of that capacity, approximately 90 percent is attributed to data center load.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, earlier this \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.datacenterdynamics.com\u002Fen\u002Fnews\u002Ftexas-governor-directs-puct-ercot-to-audit-all-data-centers-seeking-grid-connection\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">month\u003C\u002Fa>, Texas Governor Greg Abbott put the brakes on Texas’ breakneck growth, directing the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and ERCOT to undertake a comprehensive audit of all data center projects currently advancing through ERCOT’s interconnection process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.datacenterdynamics.com\u002Fen\u002Fnews\u002Fw-land-development-to-offer-power-ready-sites-for-texas-data-center-operators\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Read the full article on Data Center Dynamics →\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>",{"slug":15,"type":6,"category":7,"title":16,"excerpt":17,"date":18,"author":19,"cover":20,"coverLabel":19,"body":21},"houston-w-land-adds-data-center-development","Houston-based W Land adds data center development to portfolio","The developer is already working on a 1,000-acre site in West Texas.","2026-08-10","Houston Business Journal","\u002Fapi\u002Fmedia?key=cover_2_16x9_89136b07ab.webp","\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Originally published by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bizjournals.com\u002Fhouston\u002Fnews\u002F2026\u002F08\u002F10\u002Fw-land-development-data-centers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Houston Business Journal\u003C\u002Fa> on August 10, 2026. Reproduced here for reference.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Data centers are a hot topic in Texas and elsewhere, not least due to the controversy they cause when they are proposed near residential communities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the fast growth of artificial intelligence technology, data centers are probably here to stay — despite increasing scrutiny from the Texas government — and a fast-growing Houston residential land developer is trying to get ahead of the curve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>W Land Development, a division of build-to-rent developer Wan Bridge, has added digital infrastructure development to its portfolio, starting with a 1,000-acre site it has under contract in West Texas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We believe in the near future people's lifestyle will change dramatically,” the company’s chairman, Ting Qiao, said. “They will still have their house, but the majority of jobs will be done by AI.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiao said he and his team started looking into it about a year ago. Financially, he said, there is really no difference between developing land for residential use or data centers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You need to get entitlement; you need to have the detention pond; you need to have the storm drainage system and water plant. That's pretty much the same,” he said. “And then you sell the dirt or you lease the dirt to the user.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main difference is that for data centers — at least as W Land is approaching it — there needs to be electricity-generating infrastructure that is not connected to the state’s energy grid, including plants and battery storage facilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plan is to focus on West Texas, where there is ample, natural gas-rich land available — ideal for data centers, Qiao said. Other criteria for a suitable site include fiber connections, and while the company wants to stay away from residential communities, it also can’t be too far away from a city because data centers can employ hundreds of people. And local governments must be on board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We cannot do our business if the local government will not support this AI data center because it's billion dollars investment,” Qiao said. “We must work with the local jurisdictions shoulder by shoulder to make sure it can be (a) benefit to them and also we can be successful there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiao said he welcomes Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive issued last week pausing approvals of data centers that want to connect to the grid pending project audits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The AI data center should not take the resources from the residents, from the people,” Qiao said. “The goal for us to build AI data center is really (to) support humans, support society, support the local people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Texas is currently the second-largest market for data centers in the country and could soon overtake Virginia, according to the Texas Tribune. The outlet has identified 335 data centers operating in Texas and at least 248 more planned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>North and West Texas are the primary areas for data center developers, while the Houston area — with some exceptions — is not on the radar for many, due to the cost of land, climate risks and other factors.Link to the article: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bizjournals.com\u002Fhouston\u002Fnews\u002F2026\u002F08\u002F10\u002Fw-land-development-data-centers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bizjournals.com\u002Fhouston\u002Fnews\u002F2026\u002F08\u002F10\u002Fw-land-development-data-centers.html\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bizjournals.com\u002Fhouston\u002Fnews\u002F2026\u002F08\u002F10\u002Fw-land-development-data-centers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Read the full article on Houston Business Journal →\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>",{"slug":23,"type":6,"category":24,"title":25,"excerpt":26,"date":27,"author":28,"coverLabel":29,"body":30},"alvin-preservation-creek-unveiled","residential","The City of Alvin and W Land Development unveil Preservation Creek","Groundbreaking for the flagship residential community, a cornerstone of Alvin’s economic growth.","2025-05-23","W Land Development","Preservation Creek","\u003Cp>W Land Development and the City of Alvin marked the launch of \u003Cstrong>Preservation Creek\u003C\u002Fstrong>, a flagship master-planned residential community in Alvin, Texas, and a cornerstone of the city’s economic-growth initiative.\u003C\u002Fp>"]