The Texas Tech System established a partnership with energy and technology company Fermi America over the summer. This partnership will create an Advanced Energy and Intelligence Campus in Panhandle, Texas and is expected to complete by the mid-2030s.
The energy and data infrastructure campus will be named Project Matador — The President Donald J. Trump Advanced Energy and Intelligence Campus. Trump’s former energy secretary and Fermi co-founder Rick Perry is spearheading the initiative.
The collaboration aims to advance artificial intelligence, data management and energy development and management while creating opportunities for students, faculty and regional partners, according to the Tech System.
“It’s been an amazing partnership. They (Tech) have the land out near PanTex, and we knew that land was incredibly valuable because of the natural gas, water, fiber infrastructure, helium and the relationship next door to PanTex,” said Cathy Landtroop, Fermi chief marketing and communications officer.
PanTex is the U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration’s primary facility for the assembly, dismantlement and maintenance of nuclear weapons.
The Project Matador campus will be the first private power grid in the U.S., meaning nuclear energy will be generated on-site. Fermi plans to create the largest nuclear power complex in the U.S. — the HyperGrid — as a future power source for the 18-million-square-feet gigawatt AI campus.
The development will generate up to 11 gigawatts of power to provide consistent power required for its data centers. It will also support between 15 and 18 million square feet of AI data infrastructure, according to the Tech System.
11 gigawatts is enough to power New York City twice, according to a Fermi news release. The HyperGrid will draw power from clean natural gas, nuclear, solar and battery power, rather than the U.S. grid.
Landtroop said Fermi partnered with Tech because it presents as a major asset and premier location. Lubbock is located approximately 158 miles from the Fermi site in Carson County, providing an easy commute for Lubbock-based employees and students.
Fermi holds a 99-year sovereign lease with approximately 5,855 acres in Carson County. The land was granted by the Tech System, according to Fermi America.
Tech will receive $12.2 million in base rent from Fermi following the lease commencement, according to the Fermi, Tech System agreement.
“The university just adds so much to it. It adds incredible research, brain power and brainstorming,” Landtroop said.
A Tech research facility will also be located on-site, allowing students, faculty and researchers to work directly with experts as Project Matador develops over the next 15 years.
“They (Tech) will be helping innovate, research and lead the way,” Landtroop said. “It will be a great draw for professors and students that want to be on the ground with the next nuclear project in the country.”
The partnership’s educational component is expected to include internships, training programs and research collaborations, Landtroop said. The goal is to give students hands-on experience solving real-world energy and infrastructure challenges.
“It will be a great draw for professors and students that want to be on the ground with the next nuclear project in the country, or work with natural gas, or be in the AI space.”
The site will also include an academic and research facility including office, classroom and conference spaces, according to the Tech System.
“There’s no more hands-on project in the world right now than Fermi America,” Landtroop said. “If you’re a student at Texas Tech and you’re hungry and willing to work, you’re about to be at the epicenter of multiple industries.”
Landtroop said the partnership adds diversity to jobs and opportunities that are offered in West Texas, specifically to Tech students who are excited to learn.
“We’re excited to mentor students who are eager to learn … and to learn from those students that see things differently or challenge ideas or concepts,” Landtroop said.
Fermi plans to meet with professors from Tech colleges in the next two to three weeks to begin outlining areas of research collaboration, Landtroop said. She said will meet with professors and learn about how issues addressed in Tech research can be implemented at Fermi, noting she wants both parties to learn from each other.
“We’re always curious and asking questions for how we can improve upon the success of yesterday and that works beautifully with a college campus like Texas Tech focused on answering those questions and providing research,” Landtroop said.