DICE South 2026: Key Takeaways on Texas Data Center Growth

Texas Continues to Lead the Data Center Conversation

Texas has become one of the most important data center markets in the U.S., and the momentum shows little sign of slowing. That was clear at this year’s Data Center Investment Conference & Expo (DICE) South in Dallas, where leaders from across the data center, energy, infrastructure and technology sectors gathered to discuss the opportunities shaping the next phase of development.

For First Point Group, two themes stood out throughout the event: power and people. Both will be essential to supporting Texas’ continued growth and ensuring the state can meet the increasing demand for digital infrastructure.

A Major Opportunity for Texas

There are good reasons Texas continues to attract data center investment. The state offers significant energy resources, available land, a growing technology ecosystem and major business centers that continue to drive demand for digital infrastructure. At the same time, the growth of cloud computing, AI and other data-intensive technologies is creating an increasing need for data center capacity.

This presents an opportunity that extends well beyond the facilities themselves. Data center development supports a much broader ecosystem spanning engineering, construction, energy, technology and professional services, creating new opportunities for businesses and professionals across the state.

Power Will Be Critical to Future Growth

With opportunity comes challenges, and power was a key topic throughout DICE South. Data centers require significant amounts of reliable electricity, making energy infrastructure an increasingly important consideration when planning and developing new facilities.

As projects grow and demand increases, continued investment in generation, transmission and supporting infrastructure will be important. Texas is well positioned to meet this demand, but collaboration between developers, utilities, energy providers and other stakeholders will be critical to maintaining the pace of development.

People Will Drive the Infrastructure

Behind every data center is a workforce capable of designing, building, powering and operating it. As the industry expands, demand is growing for professionals across electrical and power engineering, critical facilities, mechanical and cooling systems, construction, commissioning, operations, project management and leadership. For recruitment firms like First Point Group, this workforce demand is becoming an increasingly important part of the Texas data center story.

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Five Roles Shaping Texas' Data Center Workforce

While data center projects require hundreds of different skills and specialties, five areas continue to stand out when looking at the talent needed to support development:

1. Electrical & Power Engineers

As power availability becomes one of the biggest considerations for new data center projects, professionals who understand electrical systems, power infrastructure and reliability are increasingly important.

2. Critical Facilities Engineers

These professionals help ensure the infrastructure supporting a data center remains reliable, resilient and operational — making them essential to facilities where downtime can have significant consequences.

3. Mechanical & Cooling Specialists

As computing requirements increase, so does the importance of efficient thermal management. Mechanical and cooling expertise is critical to maintaining performance and reliability.

4. Commissioning Professionals

Commissioning plays an important role in ensuring new facilities and systems operate as intended before they become fully operational. As the pace of development increases, experienced commissioning professionals are an important part of bringing projects online successfully.

5. Project Managers & Construction Leaders

Building a data center requires coordination across developers, engineers, contractors, utilities and other stakeholders. Strong project and construction leadership is essential to keeping complex projects moving from planning through completion.

These roles represent just part of the broader workforce needed to support Texas' data center expansion. The industry is also creating opportunities to bring talent from adjacent sectors such as energy, utilities, telecommunications, manufacturing and other critical infrastructure industries into the data center market.For First Point Group, this is one of the most exciting aspects of the current landscape: the growth of data centers is creating growth in demand for the people behind them.  

Looking Ahead

The conversations at DICE South reinforced that Texas is in a strong position to benefit from continued data center expansion. The investment is there, the demand is there and the state has many of the ingredients needed to support long-term development. The path forward will require the industry to address challenges around power, infrastructure, communities and talent — but these challenges also highlight the scale of the opportunity ahead. For First Point Group, the future of Texas’ data center market is ultimately a story about infrastructure and people working together.

As Texas continues to establish itself as a leading data center market, we look forward to following the opportunities ahead and supporting the talent that will help build them.