Fermi America and Texas Tech University have agreed to collaborate on a power and data campus in Amarillo, Texas.
Co-founded by former Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and his son Griffin Perry, the energy development company Fermi America and Texas Tech intend to build an Advanced Energy and Intelligence Campus on around 5,800 acres of land in the Texas Panhandle region, according to its June 26 press release.
The campus will be built to support the growing power demands of artificial intelligence, data services and sustainable energy, Fermi America said.
The proposed project site will have 18 million square feet of data centers and generate up to 11 gigawatts or 11,000 megawatts of power using natural gas, solar, wind and nuclear energy.
According to a Washington Post article, the project has applied for four 1,000-megawatt nuclear reactors, using Westinghouse’s AP1000 design.
The NRC said it is reviewing applications from Fermi which will be public soon, according to a report by Reuters.
“The Chinese are building 22 nuclear reactors today,” said Perry in the joint press release. “We’re behind, and it’s all hands on deck. President Trump’s first executive order spoke to the energy issue and how we must continue to make America energy dominant. No one does energy better than Texas, and Fermi America and the Texas Tech University System are answering the call.”
Texas Tech said the project will also provide academic and research opportunities for faculty and students, including internships, employment and workforce training, according to the press release.
