Google Takes Over Crusoe’s Unfinished Wyoming Data Center
Google has acquired Crusoe’s pre-development data center project in southeastern Wyoming after failing to land customers for it, TechCrunch reported. Alphabet Inc.’s Google has bought out Crusoe’s data site after the AI computing upstart failed to lock in customers, according to Bloomberg. The transaction officially concluded Crusoe’s pre-development work on the site, which included site selection, governmental approvals, and power strategy.
Crusoe initially announced the infrastructure project last year alongside the Blackstone-backed infrastructure firm Tallgrass Energy. The venture, known as Project Jade, was originally planned to scale up to 10 gigawatts of power capacity.
Crusoe’s pre-construction efforts – origination, entitlement, and de-risking – have set up the Wyoming project for construction and eventual operation,
said Chase Lochmiller, Co-founder and CEO of Crusoe.
Financial Terms and Infrastructure Investments
Google has not disclosed the purchase price paid to Crusoe for the unfinished Cheyenne facility, according to Bloomberg. However, Google announced a massive $17 billion commitment to develop the data center campus located in Laramie County’s Switchgrass Industrial Park.
Google reported that the project has partnered with Tallgrass Energy, Black Hills Energy, American Electric Power, and Related Digital. The first phase centers on a 702-megawatt fuel cell project powered by natural gas, utilizing solid oxide fuel cells supplied by Bloom Energy. The design incorporates a technical front-end engineering and design study to evaluate fitting Tallgrass turbines with carbon capture and sequestration technology.
Community Pushback and Environmental Strategy
The multi-billion-dollar development arrives amid growing local skepticism regarding heavy resource consumption in Wyoming. A University of Wyoming poll indicated that only 30% of residents support allowing the construction of more large-scale AI data centers, while prominent politicians have voiced opposition to the industry.
To address water scarcity concerns, Google confirmed that the Wyoming facility will utilize an air-cooled system to minimize strain on local water resources. The company committed to paying for 100 percent of the power it consumes while covering infrastructure needs driven directly by its growth, according to WyoFile. The company confirmed its Equality State data center plans Thursday afternoon, designed to deliver lasting benefits for Laramie County families and businesses.
We’re committed to partnering with communities to build data centers the right way,
the company said in a prepared statement.
Ongoing Partnerships Across Other Major Campuses
Despite parting ways on the Wyoming site, Google and Crusoe maintain active business ties elsewhere. Crusoe continues to develop a separate data center campus for Google in Armstrong County outside Amarillo, Texas.
Crusoe’s broader portfolio includes massive builds for other major technology firms. The company is constructing an Abilene, Texas, campus in phases for Oracle and OpenAI, building a 900-megawatt campus nearby for Microsoft, and supplying cloud infrastructure tied to deals with Meta and Jane Street.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Wyoming Data Center Acquisition
How much capacity will the Cheyenne data center eventually reach?
While Google did not disclose the final data center capacity in its official statements, earlier reports cited by Data Center Dynamics suggest the campus could eventually total up to 2.7 gigawatts.
When is construction on the Wyoming campus scheduled for completion?
Construction on the $17 billion project near Terry Ranch Road in Laramie County is targeted for completion by 2031, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
Who owns and operates the fuel cells powering the facility?
The solid oxide fuel cells, supplied by Bloom Energy, will be owned and operated by American Electric Power under a power purchase agreement signed with AEP last month.
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