US grants clean air permit for world's largest 11-GW private power grid

The US has granted a six-gigawatt Clean Air Permit to Fermi America for its Project Matador campus near Amarillo, Texas, enabling the development of what will become the world’s largest 11-gigawatt private power grid. This 18-million-square-foot facility, expected to be operational between the late 2020s and mid-2030s, will function as a private hypergrid powered by a combination of four nuclear reactors, natural gas, and solar energy. The permit, issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), confirms that the project meets stringent state and federal emissions standards, allowing construction to proceed to the next phase. Project Matador represents one of the most ambitious energy initiatives in the US, aiming to support the growing electricity demand driven by AI, advanced manufacturing, electrification, and other emerging sectors. Fermi America plans to deploy Siemens Energy SGT-800 gas turbines at the site and anticipates the project will add thousands of jobs