Pranav Hotkar
Midland, Pennsylvania - July 6, 2026 - Big Digital Energy has formed a 50-50 joint venture with energy infrastructure company 10NetZero to acquire and redevelop a powered industrial site in Hood County, Texas, into an AI-focused data center campus with a planned capacity of up to 311 MW, underscoring the growing importance of power-ready sites in accelerating hyperscale infrastructure deployment.
The companies have signed a letter of intent to acquire the approximately 50-acre property, which already has 17 MW of energized capacity and existing industrial infrastructure that will be repurposed for data center operations. Subject to validation by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the site is expected to support up to 111 MW of utility-supplied grid power. Three on-site natural gas pipelines, two 12-inch lines and one 20-inch line, also provide the option to add behind-the-meter generation, increasing the campus' potential operating capacity to 311 MW.
Unlike traditional greenfield developments, the Hood County project is designed around an operational powered site, allowing the joint venture to shorten construction timelines and deliver AI-ready capacity more quickly. The property includes more than 30,000 square feet of existing buildings that will be converted into data center space, while an administrative building will serve as the campus command center.
Big Digital Energy said the acquisition would increase its operational power portfolio from 129 MW to 146 MW while providing a foundation for future AI and high-performance computing (HPC) deployments. The company added that it is evaluating additional expansion opportunities across its existing powered land assets as well as potential acquisitions from affiliated portfolios.
To support the initiative, Big Digital has also appointed Northland Capital Markets as a financial advisor to evaluate financing strategies, customer partnerships, and AI infrastructure opportunities tied to its expanding portfolio of powered sites.
The project reflects a broader trend across the AI infrastructure market, where developers are prioritizing sites with existing electrical infrastructure over undeveloped land. As utilities across major data center markets contend with grid congestion and lengthy interconnection queues, facilities that already have energized capacity are increasingly viewed as strategic assets capable of bringing AI compute online years faster than conventional developments.
Texas has emerged as one of the most active markets for AI data center investment due to its competitive electricity market, large-scale energy resources, and extensive transmission network. Developers are also increasingly incorporating behind-the-meter generation to supplement utility power, improving operational flexibility while reducing dependence on constrained grid capacity.
For Big Digital Energy, the Hood County project represents another step in its evolution from a digital asset infrastructure provider into an AI data center developer. By combining an energized industrial site with 10NetZero's expertise in behind-the-meter energy systems, the partners aim to create a scalable campus capable of supporting the next generation of AI and HPC workloads. If completed as planned, the development would add one of Texas's larger emerging AI data center campuses, reinforcing the industry's shift toward power-first infrastructure strategies as demand for accelerated computing continues to climb.
