Fermi America, a company co-founded by former Energy
Secretary and Texas Governor Rick Perry and Texas Tech University, is planning
the world’s largest energy and AI data center campus, near Amarillo, Texas, in
the Texas Panhandle region. The proposed site encompasses 5800 acres. According
to the Amarillo Tribune:
“On Thursday, Fermi America announced that a
“first-of-its-kind” HyperGrid campus “expected to integrate the largest nuclear
power complex in America, the nation’s biggest combined-cycle natural gas
project, utility grid power, solar power, and battery energy storage to deliver
next-generation artificial intelligence” is coming to Amarillo. In partnership
with the Texas Tech University System (TTU System), Fermi America expects the
project to be the world’s largest energy-driven AI complex.”
“The campus will span 5,769 acres and have the potential
to deliver up to 11 gigawatts of power and 18 million square feet of AI
capacity. It will be near the nuclear facility Pantex.”
The first phase of the
project is expected to deliver 1GW of power by the end of 2026. The site will
include 18 million square feet of data centers. The project will also include
academic and research opportunities for faculty and students, including
internships, employment, and workforce training and placement programs.
“Project backers say the site’s location near Pantex
highlights its strategic value. In addition to its proximity to the DOE site,
the nearly 5,800-acre plot sits above one of the country’s largest natural gas
fields and near key U.S. gas pipelines.”
“In its official statement, the energy company described
the Hypergrid as “the only site with the potential to include safe, clean, new
nuclear power, the nation’s biggest combined-cycle natural gas project, utility
grid power, solar power, and battery energy storage at unprecedented scale.”
The Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is currently reviewing Fermi America’s plans. The company is
billing the project as important for defense-critical infrastructure, a key
project for a U.S. nuclear renaissance, and a way to compete with China for AI
innovation. Of course, nuclear is not cheap and takes time, years to decades to
go from the proposal stage to the completion stage. Thus, no timelines were
given aside from 1GW of power by the end of 2026. The project is expected to be
formally launched on July 4.
References:
US
plans 5,800-acre world’s largest energy campus to power 8 million homes. Sujita
Sinha. Interesting Engineering. June 27, 2025. US
plans 5,800-acre world’s largest energy campus to power 8 million homes
Breaking:
Advanced nuclear energy AI campus ‘HyperGrid’ coming to Amarillo. Fermi America
partnering with Texas Tech University System to build 18 million square feet of
artificial intelligence capacity. Jo Early and Brianna Maestas. Amarillo
Tribune. June 26, 2025. Breaking:
Advanced nuclear energy AI campus ‘HyperGrid’ coming to Amarillo : Amarillo
Tribune
TTU
System and Fermi America Announce the World’s Largest Advanced Energy and
Intelligence Campus. Kristina Butler. Texas Tech University System. June 26,
2025. TTU
System and Fermi America Announce the World’s Largest Advanced Energy and
Intelligence Campus | Texas Tech University System
Rethink
Power. Fermi America. Fermi America |
Gigawatt Scale Power for Next-Gen AI
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