The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality granted Fermi America preliminary approval of a clean air permit for 6 GW of natural gas-based power generation on November 4, 2025. The permitted capacity is the first phase of Project Matador, an 11 GW private HyperGrid™ campus planned for Carson County in the Texas Panhandle. The approval remains subject to a formal meeting and a continuing public input process. Fermi America said initial gas generators are already in transit to the site and are scheduled to be installed and online in 2026.
What it means
The company said its air quality analysis shows the project meets all federal and state air quality, odor, and health effect standards for Carson County residents. Beyond natural gas, the campus is designed to incorporate nuclear, solar, and battery power, with Fermi America stating plans to integrate zero-emissions solar into its supply mix. The company said the 6 GW of generation capacity is equivalent, on average, to powering New York City, and that the load will be served on a private grid rather than drawn from the public network.
Fermi America announced the permit alongside a partnership with the Texas Tech University System, headquartered in Lubbock, Texas. Co-founder and former U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said the company is “building this campus in real time to meet the needs of the country.” Texas Tech University System Board of Regents Chairman Cody Campbell said “the era of burdensome permitting processes stalling critical infrastructure is over.”
Key facts
- Permitting body: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
- Preliminary approval: 6 GW of clean natural gas-based power generation
- Total projected campus capacity: 11 GW (Project Matador)
- Location: Carson County, Texas Panhandle
- Initial generators: en route to site; installation and online target is 2026
- Planned power sources: clean natural gas, nuclear, solar, battery storage
- Approval status: preliminary; subject to formal meeting and public input process
- Company: Fermi America™ (Nasdaq: FRMI), co-founded by Rick Perry and Toby Neugebauer
- Partner institution: Texas Tech University System (Lubbock, Texas; established 1996)
Source: Fermi America news release (PR Newswire)