About Us
COMPASS is a collaborative, data-driven forum that brings together industry, communities, and policymakers to shape the future of large-load growth through strategic siting, stakeholder engagement, and coordinated decision-making. It is housed at the Bureau of Economic Geology, part of Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin.
The platform's mission is to provide optimized strategies for power allocation and sustainable infrastructure by applying collaborative optimization and the integrated analysis of both surface and subsurface environments. This approach ensures development aligns with key economic, environmental, and community priorities.
The consortium addresses the growing convergence of large-load sectors—data centers, oil and gas, advanced manufacturing, refining, and mining—within shared energy, water, infrastructure, and community systems.
- Forecasting industrial electricity and energy demand
- Integrated infrastructure and resource planning
- Strategic co-location and cross-sector synergy
- Community engagement, education, and workforce support
- Policy advising and regional development alignment
While the initial focus is on Texas, the framework is designed for adaptability to other regions facing similar challenges.
Motivation
Texas is at the center of a surge in large-load development—from data centers and oil and gas to advanced manufacturing, refining, and mining. While these sectors differ in purpose, they all depend on shared systems: the electric grid, water and land resources, transportation infrastructure, and surrounding communities. This convergence creates both risks and opportunities. Without integrated planning, projects may compete for limited capacity, strain local infrastructure, and amplify environmental and social impacts. The Bureau of Economic Geology brings a uniquely broad and deep research capacity to address this challenge. Our expertise spans oil and gas systems, critical minerals, geothermal energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen, nuclear energy, renewables (wind and solar), groundwater, soil systems, and electric grid integration integration—positioning us to support multi-dimensional, data-informed planning. Built on this foundation, the consortium offers a coordinated, cross-sectoral platform for managing large-load growth. We are energy technology–agnostic and focused on delivering sustainable, reliable, and commercially viable solutions for industry, policymakers, and communities. This partnership forms a strategic alliance that enables coordinated and informed decision making through a platform that continuously evolves with Texas' dynamic energy and resource systems.
Research Plan
This industrial consortium framework provides a robust foundation to address Texas' growing industrial electricity demand and resource management challenges, ensuring sustainable and inclusive economic development.
Activities and Tasks
Core activities include:
1. Advanced Load Forecasting
The initial phase focuses on data center development and oil and gas operations. Develop high-resolution projections of industrial electricity demand across sectors, with emphasis on spatial, temporal, and grid implications.
2. Integrated Resource and Infrastructure Management
With broader application to other large-load sectors, conduct geospatial and subsurface analyses for optimal siting, balancing access to energy (e.g., wind, solar, geothermal, natural gas), water, land, and grid infrastructure. Evaluate synergies from co-locating complementary industries.
3. Community and Workforce Integration
Assess local infrastructure readiness (e.g., transmission, roads, water systems) and engage directly with communities to co-develop solutions. Provide trusted advisory support, workforce training pathways, and educational outreach to align development with community priorities and talent pipelines.
4. Environmental and Sustainability Analysis
Apply lifecycle (LCA) and techno-economic (TEA) assessments to quantify and mitigate environmental impacts, water usage, and land tradeoffs across development scenarios.
5. Policy, Planning, and Stakeholder Strategy
Develop actionable insights and recommendations to guide decision-making across industry, communities, and government. Support permitting, engagement, and long-term infrastructure coordination through scenario-based planning and cross-sector dialogue.
Consortium Outputs
- Detailed, scenario-based forecasting reports, segmented by industry and region.
- A web-based, interactive visualization and mapping database.
- Policy briefs and strategic recommendations for industrial load planning, community integration, and environmental alignment.
- Access to student research program and community-based pilot projects.
- Educational outreach materials and tours to support community outreach and policy alignment.
Research & Insights
December 11, 2025 - White paper
Water Use Requirements for Data Centers in Texas: A White Paper on the Evolving Demands of Water Use in Data Center Infrastructure in Texas
This white paper highlights the growing water footprint of data centers, emphasizing that water is no longer a secondary input. It is now a central engineering, environmental, and policy challenge that will shape the future of sustainable digital infrastructure.
August 11, 2025 - Research Article
Geospatial Suitability Analysis for Data Center Placement: A Case Study in Texas
Mariam Arzumanyan, Edna Rodriguez Calzado, Ning Lin, Vaibhav Bahadur, Jani Das, Tingwei Lucy Ko, and Lars Koesterke present a geospatial suitability analysis for data center placement in Texas, integrating machine learning-based feature importance with a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach.
May, 2025 - White Paper
Data Center Growth in Texas: Energy, Infrastructure, and Policy Pathways
Ning Lin, Mariam Arzumanyan, Edna Rodriguez Calzado, Dean Foreman and Nur Schuba present a white paper on the Future of Digital Infrastructure and Energy Sustainability in Texas.
September, 2025 - Policy Explanation
COMPASS explain SB 6 - section-by-section
Texas’s rapid growth in large power loads demands a clear framework for planning and grid management. Senate Bill 6 (2025) begins to define how very large users connect to ERCOT, share costs, and support reliability—explained by COMPASS in plain language, section by section.
News & Events
One of Texas' oldest research teams helps to ease data center tensions
The University of Texas at Austin's Bureau of Economic Geology has launched a new research consortium — the Collaborative Optimization & Management of Power Allocation, Surface & Subsurface strategies (COMPASS)...
New Research Program Promotes Sustainable Data Center Growth in Texas
The Bureau of Economic Geology announces a new consortium focused on addressing the growing demand for data center infrastructure while ensuring environmental sustainability...
