El Paso Electric Proposes New McCloud Natural Gas Plant

The utility plans to present details on the facility tied to the Meta data center development.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 10:36pm

El Paso Electric is expected to give a presentation on Wednesday about a proposed new natural gas-generation center called the McCloud facility in Northeast El Paso. The utility says the center would provide constant, round-the-clock service for customers at a higher capacity, and that Meta will pay for the project. El Paso City Council is set to discuss the proposal on Wednesday.

Why it matters

The new McCloud facility is tied to the growing Meta data center development in Northeast El Paso, which requires a reliable and high-capacity energy source. This project represents El Paso Electric's efforts to meet the energy needs of major corporate clients while potentially reducing water usage compared to other generation methods.

The details

El Paso Electric is proposing to build the new McCloud natural gas-generation facility near the Meta data center development in Northeast El Paso. The utility says the center would provide constant, round-the-clock service for customers at a higher capacity than existing infrastructure. El Paso Electric also claims the facility will not need to use water, and that Meta will pay for the project's construction.

  • El Paso Electric is expected to present details on the McCloud facility proposal on Wednesday, March 31, 2026.
  • El Paso City Council is set to discuss the proposal on Wednesday, March 31, 2026.

The players

El Paso Electric

A regional electric utility serving customers in West Texas and southern New Mexico.

Meta

The parent company of Facebook, which is developing a major data center in Northeast El Paso.

El Paso City Council

The governing body of the City of El Paso, which will discuss the McCloud facility proposal.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

El Paso City Council is set to discuss the McCloud facility proposal on Wednesday, March 31, 2026, which will determine the next steps in the project's approval process.

The takeaway

This project represents El Paso Electric's efforts to meet the growing energy demands of major corporate clients like Meta, while potentially reducing water usage compared to other generation methods. The outcome of the City Council discussion will be crucial in determining if the McCloud facility moves forward.