KEY POINTS
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SpaceX’s initial project phases carry an estimated $24 billion investment for a gas-fired power plant and “super-compute facility” on 444.45 acres near Brownsville, Tx.
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Starbase officials are scheduled to consider a tax abatement and economic development agreement on Dec. 9. The proposal is not an approved construction project.
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The public notice does not specify generation capacity, building area, construction timing or a project delivery team, limiting what contractors can treat as a near-term bid opportunity.
SpaceX is proposing a gas-fired power plant and “super-compute facility” on 444.45 acres near the Port of Brownsville, with an estimated $24 billion investment for the initial phases, according to a City of Starbase notice.
The notice says the SpaceX project could include later phases and expansions, so the figure is not a final cost for the full buildout.
The Starbase City Commission is scheduled to consider a property-tax abatement and economic development agreement on Dec. 9.
The terms and value of any tax break have not been disclosed. The notice also leaves out the plant’s capacity, the computing facility’s size and a construction schedule.
SpaceX is proposing a gas-fired power plant and “super-compute facility” on 444.45 acres near the Port of Brownsville, with an estimated $24 billion investment for the initial phases, according to a City of Starbase notice. Image shows a portion of the NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING, City of Starbase, Tx, November 7, 2026 public record.
What is the Appeal of Behind-the-Meter Power
SpaceX's proposed pairing of on-site generation and computing could involve distinct power, site and building scopes if the proposal advances. The description in the public notice includes building, owning, and operating the facility and power plant.
Should the company choose to power its own project, behind-the-meter, it could reduce the likelihood of delays and regulations that face data center developers in the US powering their projects.
Behind-the-meter (BTM) power comes from generation or storage on the customer’s side of the retail meter, where it serves some or all of the site’s electricity needs. The term describes where the resource connects, not its fuel source or whether the site is fully off grid.
An appeal of behind-the-meter power to data center developers is reducing the time it takes to bring electricity to a project. JLL’s 2026 outlook says grid connections in primary data-center markets take more than four years on average. It estimates about seven years for a new data center of at least 50 megawatts in Northern Virginia and about five years in Atlanta and Chicago.
Onsite power can help fill that timing gap, sometimes as a bridge until grid service is available. In Bloom Energy’s Q2 2026 survey of 90 data-center developers, 61% said onsite power would be their primary strategy if grid power became a bottleneck, while 12% said they would relocate to another market.
Project Siting Follows Local Data Center Limits
The tract was de-annexed by Brownsville at SpaceX’s request earlier this year, then annexed by Starbase, The Texas Tribune reported. In that August 2026 decision, SpaceX agreed to fund $220 million in municipal water improvements in exchange for removing the 444 acres from Brownsville city limits.
Brownsville’s 90-day data center moratorium took effect the first week of November. The SpaceX project’s location means its review will proceed through a different municipality than it would have before the land transfer.
Keep in mind, the $24 billion project estimate is from a public notice and lacks details and specific project details. It should not be read as current construction spending or a released bid value. The megaproject faces potential data center pushback from local residents and possible legal and political obstacles as the US has seen in other data center projects.
The next public milestone to watch for is the December 9 hearing.
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