Texas data center campus highlights growing computing demand

Compass Datacenters’ Red Oak campus, about 20 miles south of Dallas, includes 10 data center buildings spanning roughly 2.6 million square feet. The sprawling Texas site houses infrastructure supporting the nation’s growing appetite for computing. CEO Chris Crosby described tight security as necessary to protect sensitive information and critical infrastructure powering the digital economy.

AI is also expanding into military maintenance. The U.S. Navy is quadrupling the ceiling on a contract for AI-powered robots used to inspect warships to $300 million. Gecko Robotics’ wall-climbing machines scan ship surfaces and collect material-condition data that can be analyzed for corrosion and structural damage.

Policy debates are developing alongside these deployments. Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed called for AI companies to be rebuilt as public benefit corporations. Kansas Democratic Senate candidate Adam Hamilton proposed a federal commission to regulate AI without specifying regulations. In Tennessee, the Memphis City Council rejected an 18-month pause on new data center development despite resident opposition.