Feasibility analysis, meeting minutes, and forward strategy for data center development in southeastern Wyoming.
Hunter outlined his government advisory experience (UAE Strategic Foresight 2015–2024, Indonesia transition team Q4 2024–Q2 2025) and current work advising the Polish government on AI data centers. The core thesis: replicate the Poland/Central Europe infrastructure playbook in Wyoming, targeting the same hyperscaler capex wave currently underway.
Target PPA structure: 10–20 year agreements, four-nines uptime, energy cost range of $40–$120/MWh (4–12¢/kWh). Strategy includes potentially acquiring undervalued solar assets for levelized cost advantages. Cyrus confirmed Wyoming industrial rates average ~6¢/kWh — squarely within target range.
Nominated by the President as EPA Regional Administrator (Region 8: Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah). Signs off on Title V permits, NPDES permits, and other environmental permits critical to DC operations. Offered to:
PropCo/OpCo structure mirroring real estate development: secure power-connected land → bring in PropCo capex to build → secure hyperscaler off-take agreement → off-take triggers NVIDIA chip allocation and trade finance → RTO in ~3 years with bankable cash flows from day one.
Industrial average ~6.03¢/kWh. Well within the 4–12¢ target range. Among the lowest in the U.S. Black Hills Energy's large power contract service tariff ensures no cost pass-through to residential customers.
Net energy exporter — uses only ~1/12th of production. New generation coming online: Tallgrass 2.7 GW gas, Basin Electric 1.5 GW co-gen, TerraPower 345 MW nuclear (2030–31). Multiple combined-cycle gas projects regionally.
Arid, cool climate ideal for air-cooled systems. Reduces cooling capex significantly vs. Texas, Arizona, or European hot-climate alternatives. Related Digital's Cheyenne facility uses zero-water cooling.
Deep aquifer access available. Closed-loop cooling viable and increasingly standard. Current DC water use in Cheyenne is ~1% of city total. Community sensitivity requires proactive design for minimal water use.
Abundant, cheap land. Very low population density (1.2 people/sq mi statewide). Minimal NIMBY opposition. Crusoe alone secured 600 acres; Related Digital has 115 acres. Large tracts available in Laramie County corridor.
Strong backbone along southern I-25 corridor. Cheyenne is 100 miles from Denver, a major interconnection hub. Multiple carriers present. Existing infrastructure supports Microsoft, Meta, and Related Digital operations.
Pro-business state. Sales tax exemption on DC equipment since ~2012 (30+ states have similar). Governor Gordon actively supportive. EPA Region 8 nominee (Cyrus) is a direct team contact. Wyoming Business Council engaged.
Consistent 365-day wind resource across much of the state. Viable for behind-the-meter renewable generation + battery storage. Microsoft already powers Cheyenne DC entirely with wind energy credits.
15–20 projects already in permitting. First-mover advantage diminishing. Speed to secure prime sites and energy contracts is critical.
Massive new loads (Crusoe alone at 1.8–10 GW) could strain transmission. Behind-the-meter or bring-your-own-power models essential to mitigate.
Greenpeace and 230+ groups called for a national DC moratorium. Wyoming has not yet established environmental tracking laws for AI centers.
Growing local pushback on aquifer depletion. Must design for air-cooled or closed-loop systems from day one for community acceptance.
Peak demand for Crusoe project alone is 5,000 construction workers. Labor competition across multiple simultaneous mega-projects will be fierce.
Small population means high project visibility. Proactive engagement and economic benefit sharing essential from the outset.
| Developer | Capacity | Location | Investment | Off-Taker | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crusoe / Tallgrass | 1.8 GW → 10 GW | SE Wyoming | $50B+ total | TBD (rumored OpenAI) | Approved Jan 2026 |
| Related Digital | 302 MW | Cheyenne | $1.2B | CoreWeave | Broke ground Oct 2025 |
| Microsoft | Expanding | Cheyenne | Multi-billion | Microsoft | Operating since 2012 |
| Meta | 715K sq ft | Cheyenne | $800M | Meta | Online 2027 |
| Prometheus Hyperscale | 1.2 GW+ | Evanston | TBD | TBD | In development |
| TerraPower | 345 MW → 500 MW | Kemmerer | $2B+ (DOE) | PacifiCorp grid | NRC license 2026 |
Wyoming is one of the most compelling data center locations in the continental United States right now. The convergence of cheap energy, favorable climate, and enormous upcoming generation capacity creates a rare window.
The fact that Crusoe, Related Digital, Microsoft, Meta, and Prometheus are all building simultaneously validates the thesis. However, speed matters. The 24-month hyperscaler capex deployment window is real. With 15–20 projects already in permitting, the low-hanging fruit — best sites, cheapest power, easiest permits — is being claimed now.
The team's competitive advantages are clear: Buzz's Wyoming roots and relationships, Cyrus's regulatory position, Hunter's infrastructure playbook and hyperscaler network, and Brendan's ability to activate all of it.
Recommendation: Move to Phase 1 immediately.
The DevCo model is proven, the market is hot, the contacts are warm, and the clock is ticking.