AI Data Center in Wyoming Set to Outconsume Residents in Electricity Usage
In an ambitious announcement, Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins revealed plans for an AI data center with energy demands poised to surpass the entire state's household electricity consumption. The project, a collaboration between Tallgrass, an energy infrastructure company, and AI data center developer Crusoe, is set to start with a massive 1.8 gigawatts, eventually expanding to a staggering 10 gigawatts.
This undertaking will significantly impact Wyoming, the least populous state in the US, considering that the initial energy requirement is over five times the electricity used by every residence in the area. This initial phase alone will absorb 91% of the state's current total electricity consumption across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.
To handle the immense power demand, the data center will generate its own electricity through dedicated gas and renewable sources. Despite being self-sufficient, this shift marks a considerable change for Wyoming, which traditionally exports around 60% of its generated power.
Governor Mark Gordon endorsed the project, citing its potential benefits for the state's natural gas industry. The proposed site for this mega data center is strategically placed near the Colorado border, south of Cheyenne, and awaits regulatory approval to commence.
Cheyenne has a history of attracting data centers from tech giants like Microsoft and Meta due to favorable climate and energy access, however, this project dwarfs previous endeavors. While Wyoming is a leading energy producer, exporting much of its output, its electricity resources remain limited, making this project a monumental step.
The future tenants of the data center remain undisclosed, sparking speculation about potential connections to significant AI projects, including OpenAI's Stargate. Crusoe, part of a new data center development in Texas with OpenAI and Oracle, has yet to confirm associations with the Wyoming site.
Tags for this article include: AI, Data Centers, Energy Consumption, Wyoming, Renewable Energy, OpenAI.
