A behemoth is rising in Wyoming's capital. Near Cheyenne, energy firm Tallgrass and artificial intelligence data center developer Crusoe are building what might just be the hungriest power consumer in the state's history. The initial appetite? A modest 1.8 gigawatts. That's just for starters. They're planning to scale this monster up to 10 gigawatts. Yeah, you read that right.
Wyoming's new AI beast won't just eat electricity—it'll devour it with a 10-gigawatt appetite unmatched in state history.
Let's put this in perspective. Wyoming has fewer than 600,000 residents total. This artificial intelligence center will gulp down more electricity than all their homes combined. And when it hits full capacity? It could power roughly 10 million homes. In Wyoming. Where there aren't 10 million homes. Not even close.
The location isn't random. Cheyenne's frigid winters mean natural cooling for all those servers cooking away. Less energy wasted on air conditioning means more profits. Smart. Microsoft and Meta already figured this out—they've got facilities there too. The partnership seeks to address emissions reduction while maintaining energy security. Wyoming's energy is cheap, plentiful, and the state produces about twelve times more than it consumes. Perfect for power-hungry artificial intelligence.
The project will use a mix of natural gas and renewables. Not exactly shocking in a state where fossil fuels reign supreme. But hey, they're trying with the renewables. Sort of. Wyoming exports almost 60% of the electricity it produces, making it an ideal location for energy-intensive computing facilities.
Cheyenne's mayor is calling this a "game changer." No kidding. When your artificial intelligence facility demands more electricity than an entire state's worth of households, that's definitely changing the game. What game? The electricity consumption Olympics, apparently. The facility's massive power consumption could generate substantial economic returns, as every dollar invested in AI typically yields $4.60 in benefits.
This behemoth reinforces Cheyenne's growing importance as an artificial intelligence computing hub. The project aligns with demands from major artificial intelligence players like OpenAI, though direct links to OpenAI's Stargate program remain unconfirmed.
One thing's clear: Wyoming might be America's least populous state, but it's powering America's artificial intelligence ambitions in a big way. Whether that's something to celebrate or side-eye depends entirely on your perspective about gigantic electricity-guzzling artificial intelligence monsters.

