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AI Data Center News: New Partnerships and Campus Builds in 2026

From Meta’s leased capacity in India to SoftBank’s multi-site France plan, these announcements show how companies are financing, developing and powering new AI data centers.
From TheFinanceBase Team5 min to read
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Companies have announced new AI data-center projects spanning Australia, Texas, India, France and South Korea-linked investment. The deals range from leases and investor ventures to energy-and-campus partnerships. The figures below are announced plans, not evidence that a facility is finished or operating; capacity measures also differ by project, so they should not be added together as though they describe the same thing.

What has been announced, and when?

Project Announced scale and measure Stated timing
Australian infrastructure ecosystem Up to 2 GW of planned AI-factory buildout Targeting 2027
El Paso, Texas 1 GW of compute capacity Expected to begin coming online in 2028
Pecos, Texas Approximately 2 GW added to Microsoft’s global data-center capacity Investment planned over five to seven years; no specific online date stated
Jamnagar, Gujarat, India 168 MW in the planned first phase, with an option to scale No online date stated
Milam County, Texas 1.2 GW site No online date stated
Gray and Roberts Counties, Texas Capacity not stated in Google’s announcement New generation is intended to come online alongside the data center; no date stated
Helix investment Samsung announced a $1 billion investment; no facility capacity stated No build or operating date stated
France multi-site plan 5 GW planned; initial phase targets 3.1 GW Initial phase targeted by 2031

These are company-reported figures. “Compute capacity,” an ecosystem-wide buildout target and a company’s addition to global data-center capacity are not necessarily equivalent measures. The announcements do not establish a neutral, independently verified status or a common basis for comparing the projects.

Infrastructure ecosystem: NVIDIA and Australian partners

NVIDIA’s September 9, 2026 announcement names Firmus, Sharon AI, IREN, Megaport, ResetData, CDC, NEXTDC and AirTrunk as Australian NVIDIA Cloud Partners or AI infrastructure partners. The plan is an ecosystem expansion of land, power and data-center shell capacity for NVIDIA DSX AI factories. The partners are to operate the AI factories; NVIDIA says it will supply the platform, accelerated computing, networking, software and ecosystem support. NVIDIA’s announcement does not set out a project-by-project breakdown of capacity, power sources or cooling methods.

NVIDIA also reported that CDC had more than 550 MW operating across Australia and New Zealand and another 800 MW under construction. Those figures are CDC’s, as reported by NVIDIA, and are distinct from the ecosystem’s future buildout target.

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Capital ventures and infrastructure investment

El Paso: Meta, BlackRock and infrastructure investors

Meta announced a venture with BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners and HPS Investment Partners to develop its El Paso campus. Meta says it is investing more than $10 billion in the project and will be its initial sole occupant. It will also provide construction management, administrative and property-management services. Meta reported that construction employment could peak above 4,000, with 300 operational jobs expected. These are company projections, not confirmed job totals. The announcement does not specify an energy or cooling approach. Meta’s announcement

Samsung’s investment in Helix

Samsung announced on September 29, 2026 that it would invest $1 billion in Helix, an AI infrastructure company launched in June 2026. Samsung describes Helix’s intended scope as hyperscale data-center development and operations, power-generation and delivery infrastructure, and fiber-optic networks. The announcement does not identify a specific campus location, capacity or delivery schedule.

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Samsung also points to capabilities across its businesses that include data-center cooling systems, coolant distribution units, UPS equipment and battery backup. Those corporate capabilities are not proof that every item is available for consumer purchase or committed to a particular Helix site. Samsung’s announcement

Lease and customer relationship: Meta and Reliance in India

Meta says it will lease capacity at a new Reliance data center in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Reliance is developing the facility, while Meta is the customer for the planned first phase. Meta says the site will use renewable energy and desalinated seawater for cooling, and that it will cover the facility’s energy and water costs. The announcement does not state an online date.

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Separately, Meta announced nearly 1 GW of new clean and renewable energy agreements in India, including 837 MW with CleanMax and 88 MW with Fourth Partner Energy. Those agreements are a broader India commitment; the announcement does not say they are all dedicated to the Jamnagar site. Meta’s announcement

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Campus developer partnerships

Milam County: OpenAI, SoftBank and SB Energy

OpenAI says SoftBank and OpenAI each invested $500 million in SB Energy. OpenAI selected SB Energy to build and operate its previously announced Milam County site. The companies describe a non-exclusive preferred partnership combining OpenAI’s data-center design with SB Energy’s development and energy-delivery capabilities. They say they designed the project to minimize water use and plan new generation to support its energy needs; the announcement provides no specific cooling technology or online date. OpenAI’s announcement

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Gray and Roberts Counties: Google and Intersect

Google’s Meitner Energy Center plan pairs a new data center with new energy generation, with the power intended to come online alongside the data center. Google says it plans to use air cooling to limit water consumption. Its announcement does not provide a capacity figure, a specific online date or further details about the energy supply. Google’s announcement

Pecos: Microsoft’s campus and dedicated energy supply

Microsoft says its new Pecos campus will add approximately 2 GW to its global data-center capacity and represents a multibillion-dollar investment over five to seven years. It plans dedicated onsite energy supply, funded by Microsoft and intended to serve its operations. The company reported more than 6,000 construction jobs at peak. Reeves County Judge Leo Hung said the project would create opportunities for local businesses and support workforce development. The announcement does not specify a cooling or water approach. Microsoft’s announcement

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Regional multi-site commitment: SoftBank in France

SoftBank announced plans to develop and operate 5 GW of AI data-center capacity in France, with investment of up to €75 billion. The initial €45 billion phase targets 3.1 GW in Hauts-de-France by 2031, across sites in Dunkirk (Loon-Plage), Bosquel and Bouchain. SoftBank says it will work with SB Energy and other partners; it names Schneider Electric as an energy-technology partner and EDF in connection with the Bouchain data center. The announcement does not set out a cooling or water plan for the sites. SoftBank’s announcement

How to read the capacity and power claims

  • Separate targets from operating capacity. Most figures here describe proposed, planned or under-construction capacity. CDC’s reported operating figure is the exception, and it covers its operations across Australia and New Zealand rather than only the new NVIDIA-partner buildout.
  • Check what each number measures. A site’s compute capacity, a company’s planned addition to global capacity, and an ecosystem’s target buildout do not automatically share a definition. The releases do not supply enough consistent detail to total them into a meaningful global figure.
  • Look for who pays and who does what. The announcements describe different allocations: a tenant leasing capacity, investors participating in a venture, a developer building and operating a site, or a company funding its own dedicated energy infrastructure. An announced investment does not by itself establish the eventual financing or operating outcome.
  • Treat energy and cooling as project-specific. Some companies describe dedicated generation, renewable energy, desalinated seawater or air cooling; others give no comparable details. The statements describe announced intentions, not measured grid effects, water use or completed systems.

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