Sujita Sinha
The project aims house 18 million square feet of AI data centers near the DOE’s Pantex site.
Fermi America, a Texas-based company co-founded by former U.S. Energy Secretary and Texas Governor Rick Perry, has unveiled plans to build the largest combined energy and data campus in the United States.
The company announced that its “Hypergrid” project will officially launch on July 4, in partnership with the Texas Tech University System.
Located near the Pantex nuclear weapons plant in Amarillo, the next-generation facility will integrate nuclear, natural gas, solar, and wind energy sources.
The Hypergrid will power 18 million square feet of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, delivering up to 11 gigawatts (GW) of IT capacity—enough to supply electricity to over 8.2 million homes.
“The Texas Tech University System is proud to partner with Fermi America on this historic endeavor,” said Chancellor Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D.
“Texas is the energy capital of the world. This project represents not only 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.”
A Strategic Push into AI and National Security
The Hypergrid is positioned as a critical response to growing global competition in energy and the rising demand for AI infrastructure in the United States.
Perry emphasized the widening gap in nuclear energy development, noting that while China is building 22 nuclear reactors, the U.S. is not currently building any.
He also referenced a recent executive order by former President Donald Trump, which designates AI data centers located at or coordinated with Department of Energy (DOE) facilities as critical defense infrastructure. The order further classifies nuclear reactors powering these centers as part of the defense-critical electric grid.
“We’re behind—and it’s all hands on deck,” Perry said. “We need to be doing everything in our power to win this race, because this is the race that really matters.”
Project backers say the site’s location near Pantex offers strategic advantages. The nearly 5,800-acre site is not only close to the DOE facility but also sits atop one of the nation’s largest natural gas fields and is near major U.S. gas pipelines.
In its official statement, Fermi America 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.”
Nuclear Power Resurgence and Public Oversight
The Texas-based company claims this will be the largest nuclear power complex in the country, although no firm timeline for full completion has been announced.
While Fermi aims to bring 1 GW of capacity online by late 2026, questions remain about how the rest of the project will be funded and executed.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has confirmed it is reviewing Fermi’s applications, which will be made public soon. According to The Washington Post, the company has applied for four 1-GW reactors, although Fermi has not confirmed this detail.
This proposed expansion comes amid renewed national interest in nuclear energy, fueled by executive efforts to streamline reactor approvals and modernize NRC regulations.
However, some critics—including nuclear advocates—warn that accelerating reforms without due diligence could compromise safety and erode public trust.
