Project Matador in Carson County, Texas, is moving closer to first power after Fermi selected NAES Corporation to operate and maintain its natural gas turbine fleet.
Fermi announced the agreement September 28, adding an operations and maintenance partner as turbines, site infrastructure and other components of the private-power and AI campus advance.
Under the agreement, Fermi will retain ownership and control of the generation assets. NAES will establish operating procedures, work-management systems and maintenance programs before the first natural gas units enter service. It will also provide trained crews, oversee site safety and support environmental compliance once the units come online.
The announcement follows several construction and equipment milestones at Project Matador.
Fermi said its first Siemens Energy SGT6-5000F natural gas turbines have arrived at the site, while EPC partners are in place and the company has signed its first customer.
Fermi also selected CBRE to operate and maintain its first data center at the campus earlier in September.
Project Matador spans 8,400 acres
Project Matador is being developed on approximately 8,400 acres in Carson County.
Fermi’s latest filings describe the initial campus as an approximately 11-GW private-grid and AI infrastructure development, with additional land and permits potentially allowing the site to expand to approximately 17 GW of generation capacity.
The company plans to support more than 15 million square feet of AI infrastructure across the broader development.
Fermi’s August 2026 investor presentation said the project had secured or placed under contract approximately 8,400 acres and was targeting up to 17 GW of power generation at scale.
The 17-GW figure therefore represents the longer-term development potential. It should not be interpreted as 17 GW already under construction.
Site work has moved beyond initial preparation
Construction at Project Matador has progressed well beyond early land clearing.
Fermi reported that approximately 4.6 miles of natural gas lines, 11.3 miles of perimeter fencing and 7.2 miles of water lines had been installed as of June 30, 2026.
The company also reported approximately 13.1 million square feet of site area, or about 300 acres, prepared for development.
The site has been developed around access to multiple natural gas pipelines and water infrastructure.
Fermi’s earlier project materials said the on-site gas pipeline network is designed to connect directly to the regional pipeline system. The company also reported that its industrial water pipeline can deliver up to 10 million gallons per day.
Multiple turbine platforms are being deployed
The natural gas fleet is being built in phases.
Fermi’s August investor presentation identified six Siemens SGT-800 turbines as the first major turbine group. Primoris is responsible for engineering and construction of the balance of plant for those units, with site excavation already completed and materials staged.
A separate phase includes three Siemens SGT6-5000F turbines. TSK is handling engineering work for that phase.
Fermi said the SGT6-5000F turbines had arrived in the Texas Panhandle by the September 28 announcement.
The company is therefore advancing several power-generation platforms rather than relying on a single turbine configuration.
Fermi’s investor presentation also identifies GE Frame 6B turbines and GE Vernova FR6B equipment as additional components of its broader generation strategy.
Private power system supports AI infrastructure
Project Matador is designed as a behind-the-meter private power campus.
Fermi plans to combine natural gas generation with utility power, solar generation, battery energy storage and nuclear power as the campus expands. The company describes the system as a way to provide large-scale power directly to hyperscale computing customers.
The company’s August presentation said the project was targeting 4.8 GW of power within approximately 30 months, including a 2.6-GW combined-cycle generation alliance with Hillcore.
Under that arrangement, Hillcore and its partners would finance, construct, own and operate the additional generation capacity, while Fermi would serve as the anchor offtaker. The first 350 MW was targeted within 24 months of notice to proceed.
TensorWave signed first major customer agreement
Fermi’s first binding customer agreement is with AI cloud provider TensorWave.
The deal covers 222 MW of initial contracted capacity and approximately $6.5 billion in contracted revenue over a 15-year term, with two expansion options that could take the facility to about 650 MW.
The agreement gives the power and data center construction program a defined initial customer load.
However, the lease’s closing date was later extended to October 31, 2026 while remaining closing conditions were addressed. Those conditions include project-level financing and other contractual requirements.
That distinction is important because the September 28 NAES agreement represents an operational-readiness milestone, rather than confirmation that the entire Project Matador campus has reached commercial operation.
NAES prepares the project for first generation
NAES will establish the operating systems and crews needed as the natural gas units enter service.
Its work will include operator training, asset-risk reviews, maintenance planning and reliability monitoring.
The agreement therefore adds another layer to Project Matador’s construction program. Fermi is simultaneously developing the generation assets, electrical infrastructure, data center facilities and private-grid systems that will support the campus.
The arrival of the Siemens turbines moves part of the generation program into physical equipment deployment, while the NAES agreement establishes the operating structure that will be needed once those units begin generating power.
Another Texas AI campus is pairing data centers with new generation
Project Matador is developing alongside another major AI infrastructure project in the Texas Panhandle.
In Armstrong County, Crusoe is developing Google’s data center campus at the source of West Texas wind generation.
The Armstrong County campus connects to Serena’s 265.5-MW Goodnight 1 wind farm and the 265.5-MW Goodnight 2 project, which is under construction. Together, the two wind projects represent 531 MW of generation capacity.
The two developments use different approaches to the same infrastructure challenge.
Crusoe is connecting its data center directly to adjacent wind generation, while Fermi is building a private power system around multiple generation technologies for Project Matador.
Project Matador: Factsheet
- Location: Carson County, Texas
- Developer: Fermi America
- Project type: Private power and AI infrastructure campus
- Site: Approximately 8,400 acres secured or under contract
- Long-term generation potential: Approximately 17 GW
- Initial development: Approximately 11 GW
- Planned AI infrastructure: More than 15 million square feet
- Natural gas: Multiple turbine platforms
- First major turbine group: Six Siemens SGT-800 units
- Additional gas turbines: Three Siemens SGT6-5000F units
- EPC partners: Primoris and TSK
- Power strategy: Natural gas, solar, nuclear, battery storage and grid power
- Natural gas lines installed: 4.6 miles
- Water lines installed: 7.2 miles
- Perimeter fencing: 11.3 miles
- Prepared area: About 300 acres
- First customer: TensorWave
- Initial TensorWave capacity: 222 MW
- NAES role: Natural gas fleet operations and maintenance
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