Artificial Intelligence is advancing fast, and so is its appetite for more reliable power. AI data centers require a massive amount of energy, prompting innovators and policymakers to seek alternative solutions that support the growth of this technology without placing additional strain on the power grid or imposing higher electric bills on households.
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Stepping in to solve that challenge is former Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who is now the co-founder of Fermi America, a company focused on developing energy solutions for artificial intelligence (AI). Fermi America recently announced that it will build the world’s largest advanced energy and AI data center campus.
Perry was also the longest-serving governor of the Lone Star State, so it is fitting that this project will be developed in Amarillo, Texas. The “HyperGrid” campus will be the company’s flagship project and is expected to span 5,769 acres. It will also be home to the nation’s largest nuclear power facility, with an ambitious goal of having the new nuclear reactor online by 2032.
“The Chinese are building 22 nuclear reactors today. America has none. We’re behind – and it’s all hands on deck. We need to be doing everything in our power to win this race, because this is the race that really matters,” says Perry. “So at Fermi America, we’re really not interested in building the second largest advanced energy and intelligence campus in the world, we’re gonna build the largest. And Texas has the expertise, the can-do spirit, and the resources to make this a reality.”
According to the company, Fermi’s Amarillo campus will be powered by “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.” When fully developed, it will have the capacity to generate 11 gigawatts of power annually. Still, the company has announced that it expects the campus to begin delivering 1 gigawatt of power by the end of 2026. One gigawatt would keep the lights on for a year in approximately 876,000 American homes or provide enough power to run approximately 7,300 large AI models.
While the development of numerous energy resources in one location is already impressive, the campus will also be home to a massive AI data center. Fermi says that there will be 18 million square feet of space available for AI operations. Powered, of course, by on-campus energy sources instead of putting further strain on the local power grid.
The entire project is ambitious, a marvelous example of American innovation at work. And it’s coming at the right time as the Trump administration seeks to cut red tape and speed up the development of energy sources like nuclear. It’s also meeting a pressing need as it’s expected that global power demand from AI data centers will increase by 50 percent before the end of 2027.
Fermi America is building for the future, seeking to usher in a new era of technological innovation and energy development. The company’s Amarillo campus may just be the first of many similar projects to come.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.