A massive new artificial intelligence (AI) data center is set to break ground south of Cheyenne, drawing more electricity than all of Wyoming’s homes combined, according to reporting by Reuters.
The data center, a joint venture between AI infrastructure firm Crusoe and regional energy developer Tallgrass, will initially require 1.8 gigawatts of electricity — scalable to a staggering 10 gigawatts, according to the companies. For context, a single gigawatt can power roughly one million homes, and Wyoming’s total population is only about 590,000.
“It’s a game changer. It’s huge,” said Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins, who noted the city’s cool climate and abundant energy make it ideal for large-scale computing.
As first reported by The Associated Press, the center would be one of the largest AI-driven energy consumers in the country, dwarfing even Wyoming’s own residential usage. Despite being the least-populated state, Wyoming is a major energy exporter and ranks among the top four states for net energy production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
While the companies declined to confirm if the facility is part of OpenAI’s secretive “Stargate” data center project, Crusoe has worked with OpenAI before. The tech firm recently completed a similar complex in Abilene, Texas, in partnership with Oracle. OpenAI has not officially listed Wyoming as a target for expansion.
Gov. Mark Gordon praised the project as a win for the state’s natural gas industry. “This is exciting news for Wyoming and for Wyoming natural gas producers,” he said in a statement.
Construction could begin soon, pending regulatory approvals. The data center will sit just off U.S. Highway 85, near the Colorado state line.
Experts warn, however, that as AI data centers expand, so too could strain on the power grid — and potentially on ratepayers — unless clean energy sources are prioritized.
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