This record consolidates 28 research observations while retaining source distinctions, location precision and unresolved fields.
| Operator / developer | AmpZ Champion Data Center Holdings (Denver, CO) |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Lufkin, TX |
| Address | State Highway 103 East (former Southland Paper Mill property) |
| Location precision | locality centroid |
| Coordinates | Not published; no coordinate inferred |
| Capacity | 2100 MW |
| Aliases | AmpZ Champion Data Center (Project LufKin) · Former Southland Paper Mill site, SH 103 East · Project LufKin · AmpZ Champion · Champion Data Center |
| Project profile | 0 rows |
|---|---|
| Intent / permits | 0 rows |
| Civic / infrastructure | 2 rows |
Largest identified East Texas project. Tax abatement request was pending with Angelina County as of July 2026. Acreage stated at ~1,041 acres with expansion potential to ~4,000 acres.
Key data: NOT_FOUND | ERCOT (East Texas) | NOT_FOUND | NOT_FOUND
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-09-05
Developer: AmpZ Champion Data Center Holdings with EPG Champion Development LLC (Atlanta, GA; Raine Cotton) | Owner: AmpZ Champion Data Center Holdings (land previously held by Verdant Industries, purchased 2010 for $11 million) | County: Angelina | Research region: East Texas / South Texas-RGV / Statewide Rural Gap Pass
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-09-05
Key data: Grid area: ERCOT (East Texas) | Gross MW: 2100 | Requested load MW: 2100 | Onsite generation MW: 1000 | Substations: Existing on-site substation with ~55 MW available capacity
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-09-05
Key data: Water demand: ~30,000 gallons initial closed-loop fill; ~500 gallons/day makeup (as presented by developer) | Cooling: closed-loop liquid cooling
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-09-05
Key data: Jurisdictions: Angelina County (County Judge Keith Wright states county has no permitting authority over the project) | State of Texas / ERCOT
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-09-05
Organized local opposition in Lufkin/Angelina County over noise, power cost and water
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-09-05
County judge states county lacks authority to regulate the project
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-09-05
Reuse of former Southland Paper Mill industrial site
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-09-05
Water use questioned by residents; developer says closed-loop
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-09-05
Key data: Surrounding infrastructure: Existing on-site substation (~55 MW)
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-09-05
Key data: Surrounding infrastructure: Former paper mill industrial infrastructure
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-09-05
Key data: Surrounding infrastructure: Potential expansion to as much as 4,000 acres
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-09-05
Land purchased from Verdant Industries for $11 million
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2010
Project publicly surfaces; community pushback reported in East Texas
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-06-09
Continued organized backlash reported; tax abatement request pending
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026-07-09
Phase target: 175 MW
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2026
Phase target: 1.1 GW
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2028
Phase target: 1 GW on-site generation
Claim classification: Not yet assigned
Status date: 2029
Project sited on the former Southland Paper Mill property along State Highway 103 East in Angelina County.
Key data: SH 103 East, former Southland Paper Mill tract
Claim classification: reported_fact · Verification: corroborated_two_sources · Retrieved: 2026-09-05
Status date: 2026-06-09
Limitation: No coordinates or parcel IDs published; locality-level only.
Developed by AmpZ Champion Data Center Holdings of Denver together with EPG Champion Development LLC of Atlanta (Raine Cotton).
Key data: AmpZ Champion Data Center Holdings; EPG Champion Development LLC
Claim classification: reported_fact · Verification: corroborated_two_sources · Retrieved: 2026-09-05
Status date: 2026-07-09
Limitation: Operating entity for the completed facility is not identified.
Initial project scope described as 2.1 GW, phased from 175 MW in 2026 to 1.1 GW in 2028.
Key data: 2,100 MW planned; 175 MW (2026); 1.1 GW (2028)
Claim classification: developer_claim · Verification: single_source · Retrieved: 2026-09-05
Status date: 2026
Limitation: Phased capacity figures are developer projections, not interconnection agreements.
Existing on-site substation with roughly 55 MW of available capacity would support the first phase.
Key data: ~55 MW existing on-site substation capacity
Claim classification: developer_claim · Verification: single_source · Retrieved: 2026-09-05
Status date: 2026
Limitation: Utility and ERCOT interconnection identifiers not published.
Approximately 1 GW of on-site generation is targeted for 2029.
Key data: 1,000 MW on-site generation by 2029
Claim classification: developer_claim · Verification: single_source · Retrieved: 2026-09-05
Status date: 2026
Limitation: Fuel type and permitting pathway not stated.
Developer describes a closed-loop system with roughly a 30,000-gallon initial fill and about 500 gallons per day of makeup water.
Key data: ~30,000 gal fill; ~500 gal/day makeup
Claim classification: developer_claim · Verification: single_source · Retrieved: 2026-09-05
Status date: 2026-06-09
Limitation: Figures are as presented by the developer at public meetings; not independently verified.
Project presented as creating 500 construction jobs and 30 permanent positions.
Key data: 500 construction; 30 permanent
Claim classification: developer_claim · Verification: single_source · Retrieved: 2026-09-05
Status date: 2026-06-09
Limitation: No abatement agreement job commitment located.
Angelina County Judge Keith Wright stated the county has no authority to regulate the project; a tax abatement request was pending.
Key data: County judge: no county permitting authority
Claim classification: official_statement · Verification: corroborated_two_sources · Retrieved: 2026-09-05
Status date: 2026-07-09
Limitation: Abatement outcome not resolved in fetched sources.
Organized community pushback in East Texas over the Lufkin project was reported twice within two months.
Key data: Community pushback reported June and July 2026
Claim classification: reported_fact · Verification: corroborated_two_sources · Retrieved: 2026-09-05
Status date: 2026-07-09
Site described as roughly 1,041 acres with potential expansion to as much as 4,000 acres; land bought from Verdant Industries for $11 million in 2010.
Key data: ~1,041 acres (up to 4,000); $11M 2010 land purchase
Claim classification: reported_fact · Verification: single_source · Retrieved: 2026-09-05
Status date: 2026-06-09
Limitation: Appraisal district parcel IDs not retrieved.