Fermi America, in collaboration with the Texas Tech University System, has unveiled plans for a colossal "Advanced Energy and Intelligence Campus" near Amarillo, Texas, poised to become the world's largest data center complex with an unprecedented 11 gigawatts (GW) of IT capacity. This ambitious 5,800-acre development, spearheaded by former Texas Governor and U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s company, aims to integrate a diverse energy portfolio comprising natural gas, solar, wind, and clean nuclear power, alongside significant battery energy storage. The project underscores a strategic move to address escalating global compute demand and reinforce U.S. energy dominance.

The campus, encompassing 18 million square feet of hyperscale data centers, has already initiated geotechnical work, with Fermi America targeting an initial 1 GW of power delivery by the end of 2026. A critical component of the energy mix will be a proposed nuclear power complex featuring four 1 GW reactors, for which a federal application has been submitted. Construction on the nuclear facility is slated to commence next year, with the first phase anticipated to launch by 2032, marking a significant long-term investment in clean energy infrastructure.

Strategically located near Pantex, the U.S.'s primary nuclear weapons assembly facility, and at the nexus of major natural gas pipelines and fields, the project leverages existing energy infrastructure and resources. Ben Sooter, Program Manager at the Electric Power Research Institute, emphasized the project's transformative potential, stating, "This isn’t just a data centre – it’s an energy megahub, built from scratch to power the next era of AI." He highlighted Texas's ambition to become "the energy-AI capital of the world," signaling a shift towards sovereign-scale AI infrastructure.

Former Governor Perry articulated the geopolitical imperative behind the initiative, noting China's rapid nuclear reactor construction and advocating for U.S. leadership in energy. "President Trump’s first executive order spoke to the energy issue and how we must continue to make America energy dominant," Perry stated, aligning the project with national energy security objectives. Beyond its commercial and strategic implications, the campus will also feature an academic and research facility, offering substantial educational and workforce development opportunities for students and faculty across the Texas Tech University System. Chancellor Tedd L. Mitchell affirmed, "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," underscoring the project's regional and educational benefits.