Overview
- In 2026 Querétaro already hosts about 202 of Mexico’s 279 megawatts of data‑center capacity, making it the country’s focal point for AI compute and potential foreign investment.
- The state faces a structural electricity gap after demand reached roughly 1,535 MW in 2025 while installed generation was about 723 MW, a shortfall that will require new substations and grid upgrades.
- Water is also constrained: Conagua reported eight of Querétaro’s 11 aquifers are overexploited and the state ranks high in national water stress, creating real limits for cooling systems that use fresh water.
- Developers confront heavy administrative friction with roughly 111 permits required, land‑use and rights‑of‑way steps that can add up to two years and interconnection timelines that can add about three years to projects.
- High‑profile U.S. disputes over on‑site gas plants, including a reported AWS Pecos County permit with large emissions estimates and a Texas moratorium, have raised public opposition and underscore that low‑water cooling, renewables and clearer rules will shape whether growth is sustainable.