December 18, 2025

Peter Cook, Editor

Some huge announcements from Texas Pacific (welcome to the Permian, Eric Schmidt!), Conduit Power, Sangha, Transwestern, and more!  Also, some controversy around an early leader in the industry in the Permian.  And there is also some first-class analysis linked in this week’s issue as well.  Do yourself a favor and turn off all distractions to digest this Digest.  It’ll be worth your time.  I promise.  Or your money back.

 

We have some speaker-sponsor announcements coming for the 2nd Annual Permian Power Conference!  Feel free to contact pete@the-power-connection.com to learn about sponsorship opportunities or to suggest panel topics/speakers.  Mark your budgets and calendars for June 8-9 in Midland!

 

Sorry for the longer-than-usual newsletter this week, but it’s not my fault if you guys are staying so busy generating so much news & analysis!

 

And now, the news…

The Power Connection Digest Issue #36

Texas Pacific Land Commits $50 Million to Data Centers, Partnering with Eric Schmidt's Bolt

Bolt, co-founded and chaired by Eric Schmidt, the former CEO and Chairman of Google, provides instant technological credibility and access to potential anchor customers. Schmidt stated the goal is to create "the largest and most efficient data center company in the world" by integrating abundant energy production with scalable data infrastructure. Congrats to our friends at Texas Pacific!

Read More
 

Conduit Power to Develop 200 MW of Distributed Generation in ERCOT; Secures Diamondback Energy and Granite Ridge Resources as Financial Partners

Under the agreements, Conduit will build, own and operate a total of 200 MWs of distributed power generation capacity to be strategically located across ERCOT’s Load Zone West in West Texas.

Read More
 

Sangha energizes 19.9 MW bitcoin mine tied to Ector County solar farm

Sangha’s 19.9 megawatt data center operates behind-the-meter on a 150 MW solar farm and leverages the flexibility of bitcoin mining to pioneer a new model for integrating renewable energy and this emerging industry.

Read More
 

Holiday splurge: Google, Facebook to spend $1.4B on Texas data center construction this month

In December alone, the combined construction budget for new data centers in Texas exceeds $1.4 billion, according to Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filings. That’s over 40 percent of the total $3.4 billion cost of new data center construction projects registered in 2025.

Read More
 

PROPWR Bringing Gas-Fired Gen-Sets and Microgrid to Keep Permian Wells Humming

To keep pace with its development pipeline, PROPWR says it has nearly 550 MW of capacity either delivered or on-order (including the 220 MW already under contract), with all units to be delivered by the end of 2027.

Read More
 

Oilfield service companies pivot to data centres as drilling market slows

Baker Hughes, Halliburton and SLB move into sector by supplying power generation, cooling technology and expertise.

Read More
 

Transwestern Makes Strategic Investment in FrontierGen to Accelerate Data Center and Advanced Manufacturing Development

Congratulations to our friend Jason Jennaro on this announcement. Best of luck to Jason and their South Texas projects!

Read More
 

Turbines Repurposed for Power Gen

I just like this LinkedIn post. Check it out.

Read More
 

Short Seller Publishes a Hit Piece on New Era Energy & Digital

Fuzzy Panda Research provides a damning article on New Era and related entities. We are not endorsing or commenting on the claims, so don’t shoot the messenger! We just felt like this was big enough news that we should include it. New Era denies the claims and we provide a link to their rebuttal in the following article.

Read More
 

New Era Energy & Digital Refutes the Fuzzy Panda Article Claims

The Company believes the claims made by Fuzzy Panda are factually inaccurate and an attempt to mislead investors about New Era’s actual operations, financial position and status of the Company’s various projects.

Read More
 

CoreWeave’s staggering fall from market grace highlights AI bubble fears

The share price plunge comes as investors worry about a possible AI bubble, the fallout from a failed merger and public criticism from high-profile short seller Jim Chanos, known for predicting the collapse of Enron.

Read More
 

Mystery solved: Amazon is the tenant in talks with data center developer rocked by stock plunge

Amazon is the prospective tenant that withdrew funding from Fermi America's massive data-center project, sending the developer's stock plummeting earlier this month.

Read More
 

The Physics Behind the AI Infrastructure Boom

Thoroughly researched piece about the forecast demand for power and what is achievable. Once you get past the click-bait headlines and sub-headlines, this is an interesting read.

Read More
 

The AI Data Center Boom Has Entered Its Constraint Phase

Data center development has moved from being an abstract engine of innovation to a visible force with real consequences for electricity bills, water systems, land use, and local politics. When infrastructure reaches that point, the rules change.

Read More
 

Water, Power, and Permission: The New Gatekeepers of AI Infrastructure

The AI data center boom has crossed from a technical problem into a public one, and once that happens, the gatekeepers change. The new bottlenecks are not GPUs or capital. They are water, power, and permission. Another great piece by Suhail Tayeb.

Read More
 

Red-hot Texas is getting so many data center requests that experts see a bubble

"We know it's not all real. The question is how much is real," said Michael Hogan, a senior advisor at the Regulatory Assistance Project, which advises governments and regulators on energy policy.

Read More
 

The cost of misforecasting: How ignoring non-AI demand risks the grid

If we don’t pay attention to non-AI electricity demand, this “background” growth could prove just as disruptive.

Read More
 

SkillUp Launches Across West Texas

SkillUp announces the expansion of their services across West Texas, empowering individuals in Abilene, Lubbock, Midland, and Odessa to access high-paying jobs and essential training without the need for a four-year degree!

Read More
 

Trump blocks state AI regulation days before Texas law takes effect

A new executive order is limiting Texas’ power to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The move comes days before a new law takes effect meant to limit the state’s use of AI and prevent the use of deep fake technology for child pornography.

Read More
 

The Permian peak that isn't

What looks like a geological ceiling is, in reality, the industry’s pivot point: a shift from hypergrowth to high-efficiency manufacturing, orchestrated by a handful of supermajors who now effectively run the place.

Read More

Subscribe

Looking to stay connected in the rapidly evolving Permian Basin? Look no further than The Power Connection Digest.

Subscribe to get our carefully curated summary of relevant news and analysis delivered to your inbox each Wednesday.

* indicates required

Share Your News

Send us your press releases and any other news articles which you believe would be of interest to our readers. Email submissions to power@the-power-connection.com

Advertising

Do you provide technology or services that would be beneficial to our readers? Advertise in our newsletters!