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West Texas land demand rises as Stargate AI projects seek power
OilPrice highlights that two adjacent AI campuses are expected to consume about 2.1 gigawatts of power, far above local demand needs.
West Texas is seeing a new wave of land demand tied to major AI infrastructure builds, OilPrice reports, as power needs once reserved for energy projects are now being pulled toward data center campuses.
The outlet points to the Stargate initiative, a nationwide AI buildout described as worth $500 billion, with OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank developing sites on former ranch and scrub land near Abilene.
OilPrice also notes that Microsoft broke ground on another large project nearby, and that together the two campuses are likely to use roughly 2.1 gigawatts of electricity, a level of demand the outlet says is comparable to the peak power draw of many American cities.
While the article frames the surge as part of a recent AI rush, it argues the needed power and land arrangements were built up over decades through factors like inexpensive land and paid down power line capacity, and it questions whether the region could face a second boom and bust cycle.