Bastrop vs. Other Texas Counties

No Triple Freeport, Limited 380/381

• No state income tax (same for all Texas)
• County rate ~$0.35/$100 valuation
• No Triple Freeport exemption
• Limited Chapter 380 city agreements
• +2 more

Active 380/381, Samsung Precedent

• No state income tax
• County rate ~$0.34/$100 valuation
• Active Chapter 380/381 agreements
• Samsung Taylor fab precedent
• +2 more

Limited 381 Activity, Higher Rates

• No state income tax
• County rate ~$0.37/$100 valuation (highest in comparison)
• Limited Chapter 381 activity for industrial
• Triple Freeport available
• +1 more

Active Incentives, Military Exemptions

• No state income tax
• Active city and county incentive programs
• Military base exemptions and incentives
• Chapter 380/381 agreements available
• +1 more

City + County Dual-Track, Public Hearings

• Most industrial sites within Austin city limits
• Dual city + county permitting tracks
• City of Austin P&Z review + council approvals
• Public hearing requirements add months
• +2 more

Distributed City-by-City Authority

• Multiple cities: Round Rock, Georgetown, Taylor, Cedar Park
• Each city has independent P&Z and council process
• City-by-city negotiation required
• Samsung Taylor required complex multi-party coordination
• +1 more

Edwards Aquifer Review + City Friction

• Parts within Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone
• TCEQ environmental review adds 3-6+ months
• San Marcos, Kyle, Buda each have own P&Z
• Habitat conservation overlays on some sites
• +1 more

Metro Density + Military Airspace Overlays

• City of San Antonio P&Z + council approval
• Military airspace restrictions near bases
• JBSA compatibility zones limit development
• Urban density permitting complexity
• +1 more

Austin Energy, Strong But Urban-Constrained

• Austin Energy municipal utility
• Strong ERCOT position
• Urban density limits new substation locations
• Competition for grid capacity within city
• +1 more

Strong ERCOT Position, Samsung Substation

• ERCOT Zone South
• Samsung Taylor drove massive grid expansion
• Oncor service territory
• Active substation build for Taylor corridor
• +1 more

Adequate ERCOT, Limited Large-Load History

• ERCOT Zone South
• Pedernales Electric Cooperative coverage
• Less hyperscale interconnection precedent
• Growing but not as transmission-rich as Bastrop or Williamson

CPS Energy, Large Municipal Utility

• CPS Energy: one of largest municipal utilities in US
• Strong ERCOT position
• Active grid modernization
• Competition for capacity with metro demand

Scarce Industrial Land, Premium Pricing

• Very limited large contiguous tracts
• Land costs 2-3x higher than Bastrop
• Municipal annexation creates jurisdiction complexity
• Most suitable land already developed
• +1 more

Available but Increasingly Competitive

• Taylor/Hutto corridors have large tracts
• Land prices rising fast post-Samsung
• Some parcels in floodplain
• More options than Travis, fewer than Bastrop
• +1 more

Scenic but Constrained by Overlays

• Hill Country terrain limits large flat parcels
• Environmental overlays restrict development
• Land prices rising from I-35 growth
• Better suited for residential than industrial

Available on Periphery, Metro Core Full

• Land available on county periphery
• Metro core largely developed
• Lower land costs than Travis
• I-35/I-10 corridor access

UT Austin, 2M Metro, Deep Tech Talent

• UT Austin (#1 engineering programs)
• 2M+ metro population
• Deep tech talent pool (Dell, Apple, Google, Meta)
• Strongest talent density in Central Texas
• +1 more

Samsung/Dell Ecosystem + Austin Proximity

• Samsung and Dell anchor employer ecosystem
• Texas A&M-Central Texas in Killeen
• Access to Austin metro talent pool
• Growing CTE programs
• +1 more

Texas State University Anchor

• Texas State University (40K+ students)
• Ingram School of Engineering
• Growing population along I-35
• Access to Austin metro labor pool

1.5M Metro, Military-Trained Talent

• 1.5M+ metro population
• JBSA produces steady military-trained talent
• UTSA growing engineering programs
• Alamo Colleges system
• +1 more

Densest Fiber Market in Central Texas

• Multiple internet exchange points
• Carrier-dense fiber ecosystem
• Sub-millisecond latency to major peering hubs
• Deepest carrier diversity in the region

Strong Metro-Adjacent Fiber

• Proximity to Austin fiber market
• AT&T, Spectrum, Grande backbone
• Samsung buildout drove fiber expansion
• Good carrier diversity

I-35 Corridor Fiber, Limited Diversity

• I-35 corridor fiber backbone
• AT&T, Spectrum coverage
• Less carrier diversity than Travis or Williamson
• Proximity to San Antonio fiber market

Strong Metro Fiber, Multiple Carriers

• Multiple carrier presence
• San Antonio internet exchange proximity
• Good carrier diversity
• AT&T, Spectrum, Lumen, Zayo

Edwards Aquifer Overlay Adds Review Time

• Parts within Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone
• TCEQ environmental review required on some sites
• Austin Water utility service available
• Drought restrictions apply

Brazos Water Authority, Growing Demand

• Brazos River Authority water supply
• Samsung fab is water-intensive
• Growing residential demand competing
• Active water infrastructure investment

Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone = Extra Review

• Significant portions in Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone
• TCEQ water quality review required
• Aquifer sustainability concerns
• Most restrictive water environment in the comparison

SAWS + Edwards Aquifer Authority

• San Antonio Water System (SAWS)
• Edwards Aquifer Authority oversight
• Active water recycling programs
• Drought management protocols in place

World-Class Urban Amenities

• Live Music Capital of the World
• World-class dining, culture, entertainment
• Top-ranked universities
• High cost of living (housing 2-3x Bastrop)

Suburban Austin, Good Schools

• Top-ranked Round Rock ISD, Georgetown ISD
• Suburban family-friendly communities
• Growing retail and dining
• Housing more affordable than Travis

Hill Country, Texas State, Affordable

• Scenic Texas Hill Country setting
• Texas State University campus life
• San Marcos river recreation
• More affordable than Travis County

Major Metro, River Walk, Military Heritage

• Rich cultural heritage
• River Walk, Alamo, world-class dining
• Military community support infrastructure
• Affordable by major metro standards