Microsoft expands Texas AI footprint
Microsoft is expanding its AI data‑center footprint in Texas as part of a strategic push to own more infrastructure even amid investor pressure over rising capex. The move reinforces the link between cloud/platform availability and large‑scale robotics or simulation deployments that require heavy centralized compute. (ad-hoc-news.de)
Microsoft has agreed to lease a major data‑center expansion in Abilene, Texas that had been developed for Oracle and OpenAI, according to reporting on the deal first published March 24, 2026. (bloomberg.com) Crusoe announced on March 27, 2026 that it will build a new 900‑megawatt “AI factory” campus in Abilene to host Microsoft workloads, comprising two new buildings and an on‑site power plant. (crusoe.ai) Crusoe and DatacenterKnowledge say the new 900 MW addition pushes total planned capacity at the Abilene site to roughly 2.1 gigawatts, making the campus one of the largest single AI‑focused sites in the United States. (datacenterknowledge.com) Several outlets reported different capacity figures during the coverage: Bloomberg and Reuters cited an agreement for a project of roughly 700 MW that Microsoft would rent, while Crusoe’s press release specifies 900 MW for the new campus. (marketscreener.com) Photographs and reporting on the Abilene/Stargate complex show an on‑site natural gas power plant and gas turbines under construction that Crusoe says will support grid resilience for the expanded AI load. (bloomberg.com) The move follows Oracle and OpenAI stepping back from planned expansion at the Stargate Abilene site, with Microsoft’s arrangements publicly reported between March 24–27, 2026 as the companies reshuffled commitments at the campus. (datacenterdynamics.com)
