# Rice Data Center

ERCOT data center · https://askthegrid.com/assets/facilities/rice-data-center

William Marsh Rice University owns and operates the 25,400-square-foot Rice Data Center at 11620 South Main Street in Houston, completed in 2007. The facility comprises server floors, mechanical infrastructure, and shell space for institutional data and university networks.

## Identity and location

- Operating status: operating
- Asset scope: facility
- Location: 11620 S. Main St., Houston, Harris County, Texas
- Owner: William Marsh Rice University (exact asset) — https://www.rice.edu/
- Design firm: Carlos Jiménez Studio (exact asset) — https://carlosjimenezstudio.com/
- Design firm: Pierce Goodwin Alexander & Linville (exact asset)

## Power and grid context

- ISO/RTO: ERCOT
- Balancing authority: ERCOT

## Development

- Site status: Operating
- Gross floor area: 25,400 square feet
- Buildings: 1
- Construction: The Rice Data Center (RDC) was constructed in 2006–2007 and completed in 2007 as a 25,400-square-foot facility consolidating Rice University's data needs. It includes server floors, mechanical infrastructure, support spaces, and shell space for future expansion. The RDC was the second building added to the Rice University South Annex site.

## Compute and operations

- Facility classes: enterprise
- Workloads: Rice University's institutional data needs, University data networks
- Operating context: Operating university enterprise data center completed in 2007. The 25,400-square-foot Rice Data Center consolidates Rice University's data needs into one primary facility and includes server floors, mechanical infrastructure, support spaces, and shell space for future expansion.

## Sources

- [http://arquitecturaviva.com/works/biblioteca-y-centro-de-datos-universidad-de-rice-3](http://arquitecturaviva.com/works/biblioteca-y-centro-de-datos-universidad-de-rice-3)
- [http://carlosjimenezstudio.com/rice-university-data-center](http://carlosjimenezstudio.com/rice-university-data-center)
- [http://morethanjustparks.com/data-center-tracker/rice-data-center-tx--80dd101d-e42a-4cb0-b8b1-10d5dd4a14bf](http://morethanjustparks.com/data-center-tracker/rice-data-center-tx--80dd101d-e42a-4cb0-b8b1-10d5dd4a14bf)
- [Rice University Library and Data Center, HoustonIrwin Mortgage Headquarters  - Carlos Jiménez  | Arquitectura Viva](https://arquitecturaviva.com/works/biblioteca-y-centro-de-datos-universidad-de-rice-3) — Arquitectura Viva
- [Rice University Data Center (2006-2007) — Carlos Jiménez Studio](https://carlosjimenezstudio.com/rice-university-data-center) — Carlos Jiménez Studio
- [Campus Energy Curtailment Alert beginning today, August 8, 2023 | Facilities | Rice University](https://facilities.rice.edu/communications/campus-energy-curtailment-alert-beginning-today-august-8-2023)
- [Energy Load-Sharing](https://facilities.rice.edu/energy-load-sharing)
- [Utility Plant Operations |Facilities | Rice University](https://facilities.rice.edu/utility-plant-operations)
- [Rice University South Annex: Library Service Center & Data Center At 11620 South Main St. - Texas Medical Center - HAIF ➰ The Houston Area Information Forum](https://houstonarchitecture.com/topic/45899-rice-university-south-annex-library-service-center-data-center-at-11620-south-main-st/) — Houston Area Information Forum · 2020-04-11
- [Library Service Center (LSC) | Fondren Library](https://library.rice.edu/places/library-service-center-lsc)
- [Rice University South Annex Map - Harris County, Texas, USA](https://mapcarta.com/W671838882)
- [Rice Data Center - Houston, TX](https://morethanjustparks.com/data-center-tracker/rice-data-center-tx--80dd101d-e42a-4cb0-b8b1-10d5dd4a14bf)
- [Rice researchers turn wasted data center heat into clean power | Rice News | News and Media Relations | Rice University](https://news.rice.edu/news/2025/rice-researchers-turn-wasted-data-center-heat-clean-power)
- [Brochstein Pavilion offers hot coffee, cool conversation](https://news2.rice.edu/2008/04/25/brochstein-pavilion-offers-hot-coffee-cool-conversation/)
- [RICE UNIVERSITY DATA CENTER — Houston, TX](https://www.datacenter.fyi/facility/rice-university-data-center-tx-d62af96f)
- [Texas Data Center Facilities, Permits & Public Records | datacenter.fyi](https://www.datacenter.fyi/state/tx)
- [Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)](https://www.ercot.com/)
- [Project Details](https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/TABS/Search/Print/EABPRJB4815340)

## Data quality

- The exact asset is the Rice Data Center (RDC), a 25,400-square-foot facility completed in 2007 on Rice University's South Annex site at 11620 South Main Street, Houston.
- The reviewed exact-site sources describe the facility and a possible 2020 property activity, but provide no documented community-benefit program, community group, petition, public hearing, opposition, or litigation tied to this facility.
- General reporting about newer Houston or Texas data-center projects was excluded because it did not identify the Rice Data Center or its South Annex parcel.
- Power values retain their reported, requested, contracted, energized, gross-campus, or critical-IT basis.

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Canonical page: https://askthegrid.com/assets/facilities/rice-data-center
Profile generated: 2026-07-27T23:45:35.094872Z
Source: Ask the Grid — https://askthegrid.com/