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Data Center Projects in Carson County, Texas
Last verified: October 27, 2026 · 1 tracked project · 4 tracked records
Overview
Texas Data Center Watch tracks one project in Carson County: Project Matador (the HyperGrid campus), being developed near Amarillo by Fermi America. It is listed as in development.
Fermi submitted the first part of its combined license application to the NRC for four AP1000 reactors on June 17, 2025, and the NRC issued an acceptance letter on Sept. 5, 2025. On March 20, 2026, the NRC announced it would prepare an environmental impact statement, with scoping comments due April 20, 2026. The NRC's notice says the reactors "would provide 4 GWs" of baseload power, and that the campus may include about 11 GW of total generation and up to 30 million sq ft of computing space (Federal Register).
Separately, NEI Magazine, citing Fermi, reported that the four AP1000s total 4.4 GWe within a planned 17 GWe campus, and that nuclear construction is slated to begin in 2031 (NEI Magazine).
The first Siemens Energy gas turbines have arrived on site, and Fermi selected NAES to operate its gas turbine fleet (Construction Review Online).
Oct. 13 company announcement: Fermi said AMD signed credit support for a 222 MW phase-one lease and a framework for up to 650 MW more, calling it a milestone toward financing. Those are company claims (Fermi release (Nasdaq)).
Tracked projects
| Project | Developer | Status | Capacity / size | Investment | Key dates | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Matador (HyperGrid campus), Amarillo area | Fermi America | In development | 4 proposed AP1000 reactors under NRC review; reactors 'would provide 4 GWs' of baseload power and campus may include ~11 GW total generation and up to 30M sq ft of computing space (NRC, Federal Register); four AP1000s 'totalling 4.4 GWe' within a planned 17 GWe campus (NEI Magazine, citing Fermi); first Siemens Energy gas turbines arrived on site (Fermi, via CRO); subject to binding customer agreements, expected to ramp to about 17 GW (Fermi Oct 13 2026 release) | Not recorded | Jun 17 2025 COL application initial submittal · Sep 5 2025 NRC acceptance letter · Mar 20 2026 NRC notice of intent to prepare EIS, scoping comments due Apr 20 2026 (Federal Register) · Sep 28 2026 NAES selected to operate gas turbine fleet (CRO) · nuclear construction slated to begin 2031 (NEI Magazine, Mar 17 2026) · Oct 13 2026 Fermi announced AMD credit support for the phase-one 222 MW lease with TensorWave and a partnership framework for future expansion up to 650 MW gross (Fermi release via Nasdaq · company claim). Current NRC docket status not re-checked: nrc.gov blocked our fetchers | Federal Register · Construction Review Online · NEI Magazine · Fermi release (Nasdaq) |
Sources for each project are linked in the table. Figures labeled "company" come from the developer.
Record timeline
| Date | Type | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2026 | Company announcement | Fermi: three GE Vernova 6B gas turbines arrived at Project Matador, part of its planned 17 GW private-grid energy and AI campus (company). | fermiamerica.com |
| Oct 13, 2026 | Company announcement | Fermi: AMD signed credit support for the 222 MW phase-one lease and a framework for up to 650 MW more; called a milestone toward financing (company claim). | Fermi release (Nasdaq) |
| Mar 27, 2026 | TCEQ permit | TCEQ received Fermi's application (183462) for a new gas-fired power plant on the Project Matador East Campus to supply its data center campus. | TCEQ |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Federal filing | Federal Register: NRC intends to prepare EIS for Fermi America's four-unit AP1000 COL application; scoping comments due Apr 20 2026. | Federal Register |
What's next
These dates come from the tracker. Texas Data Center Watch has no recorded upcoming Carson County hearings or votes on data centers.
- Statewide permit pause: Under the Governor's Sept. 21 order halting permits sought by data centers (Governor's office), TCEQ sent its Oct. 19 compliance letter: it says permits for infrastructure directly supporting data centers are paused, pending applications are being screened, and claimed authorizations are suspended where possible (TCEQ letter). The Texas Tribune reported Oct. 20 that TCEQ says stormwater permits flagged by Public Citizen were suspended (Texas Tribune). On Oct. 21 TCEQ posted that its STEERS e-filing system for automatic authorizations is temporarily shut down so staff can check whether applications relate to data centers (TCEQ STEERS notice); the Texas Tribune reports a spokesman said applications must be physically provided (Texas Tribune, Oct. 21). The tracker doesn't show whether any project in Carson County has a pending TCEQ permit.
Frequently asked questions
What data center projects are tracked in Carson County, Texas? One: Project Matador (HyperGrid campus) in Amarillo area, listed as in development.
Is Project Matador planning nuclear power? Yes. Fermi has applied to the NRC for combined licenses for four AP1000 reactors. The NRC accepted the application on Sept. 5, 2025, and announced on March 20, 2026 that it would prepare an environmental impact statement (Federal Register). This page doesn't report the application's current status.
How much power would the reactors provide? The NRC's notice says 4 GW, with about 11 GW of total generation planned for the campus (Federal Register). NEI Magazine, citing Fermi, reports 4.4 GWe for the four reactors and a planned 17 GWe campus (NEI Magazine).
Did AMD commit power for Project Matador? Fermi announced on Oct. 13, 2026, that AMD signed credit support for a 222 MW phase-one lease and a framework for up to 650 MW more. That is a company claim (Fermi release (Nasdaq)).
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