How the World’s Largest Data Centre Hopes to be Sustainable
Fermi America is planning an 11GW data centre campus in Texas, partnering with the Texas Tech University System for what the companies describe as an energy and intelligence hub near Amarillo.
The 5,800-acre development will house 18 million square feet of data centres powered by nuclear, natural gas, solar and wind sources.
The company, led by former Texas governor and US energy secretary Rick Perry, has started geotechnical work on the site and expects to deliver 1GW of power capacity by the end of 2026.
The location sits near Pantex, the primary US nuclear weapons assembly facility, at the intersection of major gas pipelines and above substantial natural gas reserves. Fermi has submitted a federal application for a nuclear power complex featuring four 1GW reactors.
Construction is planned to begin next year, with the first nuclear phase targeting a 2032 launch date.
Targeting the hyperscale data centre market
The Advanced Energy and Intelligence Campus seeks to combine nuclear power, natural gas generation, utility grid connections, solar arrays and battery storage systems within a single development.
This integrated approach aims to serve hyperscale data centre operators requiring substantial power capacity and reliability.
Ben Sooter, Program Manager at Electric Power Research Institute, positions the project within current market dynamics.
“This isn't just a data centre – it's an energy megahub, built from scratch to power the next era of AI,” he says. “With global tensions rising and compute demand exploding, this is Texas staking a claim as the energy-AI capital of the world.”
The campus design reflects the growing power requirements of AI workloads, which have driven data centre operators to seek locations with access to multiple energy sources and grid connections.
Fermi’s approach addresses these requirements through its mixed energy portfolio and strategic location within Texas's energy infrastructure network.
Positioning Texas at the heart of data centre development
The company’s partnership with Texas Tech University System adds educational and research elements to the commercial development. The campus will include academic facilities with office, classroom and conference spaces, creating opportunities for workforce development programmes across the university system’s five institutions.
“Texas is the energy capital of the world and this campus will not only be the largest energy and data complex of its kind, but also a testament to the unshakable spirit of our system, the Texas Panhandle and this great state,” says TTU System Chancellor Tedd L. Mitchell.
Prioritising academic development hopes to address workforce development challenges facing the data centre industry, particularly in areas requiring specialised technical skills.
TTU President Lawrence Schovanec explains: “This collaboration will not only position Texas Tech to address the evolving demands of the energy and technology sectors but will also create meaningful educational opportunities for our students and research possibilities across many disciplines for our faculty.”
Supporting rapid US data centre growth
Rick Perry positions the development within broader energy security considerations, citing continued international competition amid surging data centre demand
“The Chinese are building 22 nuclear reactors today,” he says. “We're behind, and it's all hands on deck.”
With the US data centre market having boomed significantly over the past several years, individual states have played a critical role in driving greater investments across the industry. Local governments and authorities have often offered tax incentives to entice data centre operators to build in their state, with the end goal being to boost GDP and support the local community.
As a result, the US data centre industry has enjoyed much growth, which has been powered largely by the country’s hyperscale companies.
Rick adds: “President Trump’s first executive order spoke to the energy issue and how we must continue to make America energy dominant. No one does energy better than Texas and Fermi America and the Texas Tech University System are answering the call.”
Ben Sooter adds: “Is this the moment AI infrastructure goes sovereign-scale? Or is Texas simply leading the charge?”
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