Husch Blackwell Guides Crusoe in $15 Billion Joint Venture for 1.2 GW AI Data Center in Texas
Husch Blackwell helped Crusoe secure financing for a $15B AI data center expansion in Abilene, Texas. The project will add six buildings, totaling 1.2 gigawatts capacity by 2026.
Husch Blackwell Supports Crusoe in $15 Billion AI Data Center Expansion
Husch Blackwell’s energy and real estate teams recently played a key role in helping Crusoe close financing for the second phase of a $15 billion joint venture. This collaboration with Blue Owl Capital and Primary Digital Infrastructure will fund a 1.2-gigawatt AI data center project located in Abilene, Texas.
The joint venture involves Crusoe, Blue Owl’s Real Assets platform, and Primary Digital Infrastructure working together to build six additional buildings. Once complete, the entire data center will consist of eight buildings.
Project Timeline and Scale
Construction for the first phase began in June 2024 and includes two buildings with over 200 megawatts of capacity. This phase is expected to be energized in the first half of 2025. The second phase started in March 2025, adding six buildings with a combined capacity of 1.2 gigawatts, targeted to be operational by mid-2026.
Legal and Regulatory Guidance
Acting as local counsel, Husch Blackwell advised Crusoe on regulatory matters related to the sale of private access energy to data center tenants. The team also supported permitting efforts essential for the construction of the six new buildings.
Data Center Design Highlights
- Each building will support up to 50,000 NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 units on a unified network fabric, optimizing performance for AI training and inference workloads.
- Advanced cooling technologies include direct-to-chip liquid cooling combined with zero-water evaporation systems that recirculate water through a closed loop.
- The site’s access to abundant, low-cost wind energy in Abilene was a major factor in choosing the location.
Project Leadership
The Husch Blackwell team was led by partners Carrie Collier-Brown and Nikelle Meade, with significant contributions from attorneys Alaina Zermeno, Holly Heinrich, Will Gunnell, Dakota Parish, and paralegal Lucy Yanock.
For additional details, see the Crusoe news release dated May 21, 2025.
