- The new Wyoming installation could consume twice as much electricity as the entire state currently produces each year
- Data centers developers build personalized natural gas and renewable factories to meet massive energy needs
- Crusoe refused to confirm any involvement of Openai despite increasing speculation and previous partnerships
Plans for a new AI data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, have raised serious questions about energy consumption and infrastructure requests.
The installation proposed, a collaboration between the energy company Tallgrass and the developer of the Crusoe data center, should start at 1.8 gigawatts and could evolve towards a huge 10 gigawatts.
For the context, this represents more than five times more electricity than all Wyoming households currently use.
A power supply dedicated to a silent tenant
Given the extraordinary energy requirements, the drawing of the energy of the public network is not an option – instead, the developers intend to feed the site using a combination of natural gas and renewable energies, specially designed for installation.
However, the mystery around the project continues to deepen because the future occupant of the data center has not been appointed.
Speculation has focused on Openai, while the AI giant recently associated with Crusoe on a separate installation in Texas, described as the “largest data center” in the world.
This project would have mentioned an energy gigawatt and is considered to be part of the broader Openai “Stargate” initiative.
OPENAI is committed to developing several gigawatts of the capacity of the data center, although the company has not publicly confirmed any presence in Wyoming.
When asked, Crusoe refused to confirm or deny if this new site is linked to Stargate, fueling new uncertainty.
At the heart of these AI -focused data centers is the request for extremely high performance equipment.
Industry experts expect it to shelter the fastest processors available, perhaps in dense workstation configurations optimized for in-depth learning and model training.
These systems are annoying by design, each server node capable of managing massive workloads which require sustained cooling and uninterrupted energy.
Wyoming State representatives adopted the project as a boost for local industries, in particular natural gas; However, some experts warn broader implications.
Even with a self -sufficient power model, a data center for this scale modifies regional power dynamics.
It is feared that residents of Wyoming and its surroundings can deal with higher utility costs, in particular if local supply chains or pricing models are indirectly affected.
In addition, the identity of Wyoming as a major energy exporter could be tested if such emerging facilities.
Via Arstechnica
