Key Takeaways
1. Mayor Patrick Collins supports a new data center campus in Wyoming, with an initial capacity of 1.8 GW and potential growth to 10 GW.
2. The facility’s first phase is projected to consume 15.8 TWh annually, significantly exceeding Wyoming’s residential energy needs.
3. To meet high energy demand, Tallgrass plans to use dedicated gas and renewable energy sources, a shift for the state which currently exports much of its electricity.
4. The proposed site is near Cheyenne, which already hosts data centers from Microsoft and Meta, leveraging its favorable climate and energy infrastructure.
5. If approved, the project could position Wyoming as a leading site for AI computation amidst increasing domestic energy demands.
Mayor Patrick Collins has supported a plan from infrastructure experts Tallgrass and AI computing company Crusoe to establish a new data center campus. The campus is anticipated to start with a capacity of 1.8 GW and has the potential to grow to 10 GW of IT load. This would exceed the total electricity usage of all homes in the state combined.
Initial Energy Demand
In the first phase, the facility is projected to consume around 15.8 TWh annually. This figure is five times greater than the residential energy needs of Wyoming. When fully operational, the center could require 87.6 TWh, which is more than double the state’s yearly electricity generation. According to calculations referenced by Ars Technica, it’s estimated that one gigawatt can power about one million homes in the U.S.
Energy Solutions
Due to the public grid’s inability to support such a high demand, Tallgrass intends to combine dedicated gas-fired generation with renewable energy sources. This is a significant change for Wyoming, which currently exports nearly 60% of the electricity it generates. Governor Mark Gordon has expressed support for the project, recognizing the potential benefits it could bring to local natural gas suppliers.
Location and Approvals
The proposed site is situated just south of Cheyenne, near U.S. Route 85. State and county authorities still need to approve the plans. Cheyenne already has data centers run by Microsoft and an almost-finished Meta campus worth $800 million. These tech giants are attracted to the area’s cool, dry climate and robust energy infrastructure.
Tallgrass and Crusoe have yet to identify an anchor tenant for the campus. This has led to speculation that the site might be linked to OpenAI’s “Stargate” project. A spokesperson from Crusoe did not confirm or deny this possibility. The company already collaborates with OpenAI on a one-gigawatt facility in Abilene, Texas, which they claim is the largest data center site in the world. Additionally, Crusoe aims to secure another 4.5 GW of capacity in partnership with Oracle.
Future Prospects
If the Cheyenne project moves forward on its proposed “sooner rather than later” timeline, Wyoming could emerge as one of the largest locations globally for AI computation. At the same time, the state will be testing its capacity to balance energy exports with the growing domestic demand for machine-learning workloads.
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