The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on Feb. 25 approved a final clean air permit for Fermi America that authorizes 6 gigawatts (GW) of natural gas-based power generation for its 11-GW Project Matador campus in Amarillo, Texas.
“When it comes to responsible, scalable energy production, it’s no surprise that Texas is leading the way,” said Toby Neugebauer, co-founder and CEO of Fermi America. “We appreciate Gov. Abbott’s leadership, the State of Texas, and the TCEQ for their diligence in this process, while protecting the grid and ensuring that Texas ratepayers aren’t left footing the bill for private AI power demand.”
Fermi America, an advanced energy and hyperscaler development company, is constructing a massive, 5,800+ acre, nuclear-powered AI data center campus in the Texas Panhandle near Amarillo, adjacent to the Pantex plant. The project is situated on land collaborating with the Texas Tech University System.
The new TCEQ approval confirms Fermi America’s compliance with state and federal emissions standards and allows the company to begin the vertical phase of power generation construction.
Additionally, with air permitting secured — which Fermi says is one of the longest lead-time approvals for large-scale energy infrastructure — Project Matador now advances into the final stages of the project finance and tenant negotiations phase, and Fermi America said it will mobilize its previously announced Siemens Energy SGT-800 gas turbine fleet currently in the port of Houston to the Amarillo campus.
The TCEQ approval also underscores Texas’s leadership in enabling high-impact private energy infrastructure while protecting consumer utility costs and strengthening national energy security, company executives said.
“Securing the second-largest Clean Air Permit in the country is yet one more significant milestone for our 11-GW private grid campus,” said Fermi America Chief Communications Officer and Director of Strategic Initiatives Cathy Landtroop. “With the issuance of today’s air permit, the support of our fellow West Texans, and Toby’s foresight to lock up over 2 GW of long lead time power assets, Fermi is uniquely positioned to help America’s hyperscalers quickly secure the private power they need at scale.”
The permit follows a rigorous environmental and public review process, including technical evaluation by TCEQ engineers, air-quality modeling to confirm compliance with state and federal standards, and a public notice and comment period.
“We are grateful for the incredible support of the Amarillo community, where we look forward to adding thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to the region’s economy,” Neugebauer said.