Technology and Scienceupdated 25m ago3 min read
MapGoogle Acquires Crusoe’s Wyoming Data Center Site, Plans $17 Billion Investment
“Google, which Crusoe had tried and failed to land as a customer for the project”
“forcing the company to seek a buyer with deeper pockets.”
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout
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Google acquired Crusoe’s southeast Wyoming data center site after predevelopment work and hybrid power plans. Project design includes a hybrid energy strategy and potential expansion from 1.8 GW to 10 GW.
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Google takes over
Google acquired Crusoe’s data center site in southeast Wyoming, completing Crusoe’s pre-development work on site selection, governmental approvals, and a hybrid power strategy developed with Tallgrass Energy. Crusoe said the transaction marked the completion of its engagement in pre-development for the Wyoming project, and Crusoe CEO Chase Lochmiller said, "Crusoe’s pre-construction efforts – origination, entitlement, and de-risking – have set up the Wyoming project for construction and eventual operation." Crusoe also said it had more than 6 GW contracted and over 40 GW in its pipeline, while DiarioBitcoin described the design as envisioning a hybrid energy strategy and a potential expansion from 1.8 GW to 10 GW.
TechCrunch reported that Crusoe confirmed it sold an unfinished data center project in southeastern Wyoming to Google, and TechCrunch said Google did not disclose how much it paid for the unfinished project. TechCrunch added that Google planned to invest $17 billion to develop the data center campus, while Quartz en Français said Google announced a $17 billion investment in Laramie County for its first data center in Wyoming.
What changed, what stayed
Crusoe said its Wyoming campus work required simultaneous coordination across energy systems design, data center engineering, site development, and hyperscaler engagement, and it described a hybrid power strategy combining fuel cells, grid power, and natural gas turbines. Crusoe said the long-term roadmap included carbon capture via Tallgrass’s regional CO2 sequestration hub, while DiarioBitcoin said the acquisition did not confirm when work would start or the operational capacity. TechCrunch reported that Google had raised concerns about its cost and construction timeline under Crusoe’s management, and it said the deal highlighted how difficult it can be for independent developers to deliver massive projects on time and within budget.
Quartz en Français said Google’s Wyoming project would be powered by a 702-megawatt natural gas-fired plant with carbon capture, and it said the project relied on air cooling rather than water cooling. Quartz en Français also said Google met with more than 200 county residents at a community meeting in downtown Cheyenne, where attendees expressed concerns about the impact of the data center expansion on the city.
Next milestones and scale
DiarioBitcoin said the acquisition did not equal the start of construction or commissioning of facilities, and it said the next concrete milestone would be to turn the existing planning into construction if the project progresses as planned. TechCrunch reported that Crusoe was developing another data center for Google near Amarillo, Texas, after the Wyoming setback, and it said Crusoe had tried and failed to land Google as a customer for the Wyoming project. Crusoe said it was "eager to steward the development and energization of the foundational infrastructure of AI," and it framed its mission as activating gigawatts for intelligence.
Quartz en Français said full operation was planned by the end of 2028, and it said Google expected the project to generate local property tax revenues worth several hundred million dollars for Laramie County and School District 1. Quartz en Français also said Black Hills planned to invest $1.8 billion between 2027 and 2029 to build 564 MW of natural gas generation, while it said the energy service was expected to begin in late 2027 and reach peak load by 2030.