Business Insider·2026-02-09 19:41Core Insights - Bolt Data and Energy, co-founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, is negotiating a deal to start construction on a large data center project in West Texas [1][2] - Google is considering a commitment of 250 megawatts for this project, although the exact size of the potential transaction is still under discussion [2][3] - The deal underscores the competitive landscape among Big Tech companies to secure necessary resources for AI development, despite the associated costs and risks [4] Company Developments - Bolt completed its first funding round in December, raising $150 million, including $50 million from Texas Pacific Land Corporation (TPL), which owns significant land in West Texas [8] - TPL's land will provide Bolt with access to essential resources like power and water, which are increasingly strained due to the surge in data center developments [9] - Bolt's initial plan includes a 250 megawatt facility, with potential expansion to a 5 gigawatt campus in increments of 250-500 megawatts [9] Industry Trends - The AI race has prompted several large-scale data center projects in Texas, including an 11-gigawatt campus planned by Fermi, co-founded by former Texas governor Rick Perry [10] - Major banks have faced challenges in selling off $38 billion in loans for data center construction due to concerns over Oracle's credit amid its AI spending [12] - Oracle plans to raise up to $50 billion in debt and equity by 2026 to support its AI initiatives while maintaining a solid investment-grade balance sheet [13] - Alphabet, Google's parent company, announced plans to spend between $175 and $185 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, primarily for AI infrastructure [13] - A significant wave of spending on AI has been reported by major tech companies, with Amazon planning to spend $200 billion this year alone [14]