AI Power Surge Forces Infrastructure Rethink as 3 Gigawatt Texas Campus Emerges

Transmission-scale AI campus structured for phased grid delivery as ERCOT faces record large-load interconnection growth.

DALLAS, TX, UNITED STATES, February 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — As artificial intelligence workloads reshape global energy demand and U.S. grid planners confront record large-load interconnection requests, a 3 gigawatt transmission-scale data center campus is being introduced in North Texas along one of Oncor’s highest-voltage 345 kV corridors.

The 3,500-acre site, structured for up to 3,000 megawatts of grid-connected data center capacity, reflects a shift in how hyperscale operators are securing power in an era where AI deployment timelines are compressing faster than transmission upgrades can be delivered.

Industry forecasts project U.S. data center electricity demand could more than double by 2030 as AI model training and inference workloads expand. In Texas, ERCOT has reported unprecedented large-load interconnection volumes, with thousands of megawatts under active study. Power availability, not land, is emerging as the gating variable.

“This is no longer a real estate story. It is an infrastructure sequencing story,” said Roxanne Marquis, founder of 8888CRE and a Texas-based transmission-scale land strategist. “Operators are securing multi-gigawatt positions years before chips arrive. The constraint is no longer buildings. It is power pathway certainty.”

Scale Perspective

At full buildout, 3,000 megawatts of grid-connected demand would equal the peak electricity consumption of a mid-sized U.S. city. Few single-site campuses nationally are being positioned at this scale within a deregulated market structure.

The project’s framework reflects mounting pressure on grid operators to accommodate AI-driven load growth without compromising reliability.

Transmission-Scale Strategy

Project materials outline a phased deployment model structured around:

• 3,000 MW of grid-connected data center load
• A separate 3,000 MW battery storage interconnection concept
• Approximately 1 GW of dispatchable bridge-to-grid natural gas generation
• 240,000 MMBtu per day of natural gas availability beginning Q1 2027
• Targeted multi-point 345 kV interconnection sequencing beginning 2028

Final delivery remains subject to interconnection approvals, engineering studies, regulatory processes, and tenant commitments.

The 1 gigawatt bridge-to-grid strategy is designed to allow early energization while permanent transmission upgrades are sequenced through utility planning cycles. As ERCOT and other U.S. grid operators evaluate how AI campuses alter peak demand curves, phased energization models are becoming central to deployment strategy.

Battery as Grid Asset

The 3,000 megawatt battery interconnection concept is structured not only as campus support but as a grid stabilization mechanism. Large-scale storage integration can provide peak shaving, ramp smoothing, and dispatch flexibility as utilities absorb AI-driven load volatility.

Integrated storage at multi-gigawatt campuses is increasingly viewed as a hedge against transmission bottlenecks and long upgrade timelines.

Texas in the Global AI Power Race

Global technology firms are racing to secure AI compute dominance. That race increasingly hinges on regional power strategy.

Texas offers a market-based grid structure, comparatively faster permitting, access to natural gas supply, renewable generation diversity, and large tracts of transmission-adjacent land. As federal policymakers debate AI competitiveness and energy security, infrastructure-scale campuses in ERCOT territory are attracting heightened international attention.

The North Texas campus sits within reach of the Dallas–Fort Worth labor market, approximately 45 minutes from DFW International Airport, with cited access to 21 million gallons per day of municipal water commitment, nearby 108-inch fresh water transmission infrastructure, and proximate fiber connectivity.

Portions of the property are zoned for data centers, with additional acreage zoned agricultural in an unincorporated area. Local economic development officials are described as supportive of technology-oriented investment, with discussions including abatements and district-level infrastructure structuring.

From Land Transaction to Infrastructure Platform

“What we are seeing is a structural shift,” Marquis said. “Multi-gigawatt campuses require transmission adjacency, phased sequencing, gas coordination, storage integration, and regulatory alignment. That is the new baseline for AI-scale development.”

The campus is being presented to qualified hyperscale operators, AI infrastructure developers, battery storage platforms, and energy-backed private equity investors seeking large-scale deployment positions within Texas’ deregulated power market.

As AI deployment accelerates globally, the battle for compute capacity is increasingly becoming a battle for megawatts. Projects capable of integrating grid interconnection, storage, and bridge generation at transmission scale may define the next phase of infrastructure competition.

For additional information:

Roxanne Marquis
Founder, 8888CRE
rose@8888cre.com

+1 972 805 7587
8888CRE.com

About 8888CRE

8888CRE advises global cloud, AI, and battery-storage developers on transmission-adjacent site origination, power procurement strategy, and phased infrastructure deployment across ERCOT and Southwest Power Pool territories. The firm focuses on assembling multi-gigawatt campuses aligned with utility-grade interconnection frameworks and scalable grid integration models.

Roxanne Marquis
8888CRE.com
+1 972-805-7587
email us here
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North Texas 3 GW AI Data Center Campus | Transmission-Scale Power Platform

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