New Era Helium, via its joint venture Texas Critical Data Centers, is in talks with major enterprises to anchor an AI infrastructure project in Texas' Permian Basin. The company is exploring expansion and board appointments to support this strategy, aiming to bridge local energy resources with rising demand for AI computing.
New Era Helium, Inc., an innovative exploration and production company operating in the Permian Basin, has announced key strategic moves aimed at advancing its AI infrastructure initiatives. The company revealed that Texas Critical Data Centers, LLC (TCDC)—a joint venture with Sharon AI, Inc.—is currently engaged in active discussions with several major enterprise clients. These discussions focus on potentially anchoring TCDC’s proposed AI infrastructure development in Ector County, Texas.
Although no binding agreements have yet been signed, these preliminary talks highlight a growing interest from large-scale, high-performance computing (HPC) customers in TCDC’s strategic location and development plans. TCDC is also evaluating the acquisition of additional land near its current site. This potential expansion is part of a broader effort to build a large-scale data center campus capable of supporting significant increases in powered capacity. If realized, the project would create a major digital infrastructure hub in the Permian Basin, connecting abundant regional energy resources with surging national demand for AI computing power.
The company sees this initiative as a transformative opportunity to position the Permian Basin as a critical player in the next generation of digital infrastructure, capitalizing on the region’s energy richness to support energy-intensive AI workloads. This aligns with New Era Helium’s long-term vision of combining energy production with cutting-edge technological infrastructure.
To further support these ambitious plans, New Era Helium is also preparing to expand its board of directors. The company has identified three prospective board members with deep expertise in the fields of energy, infrastructure development, and digital innovation. These candidates are currently undergoing final due diligence, and their anticipated appointment will enhance the company’s governance and strategic direction. The new board members are expected to bring valuable insight and leadership as the company transitions into a dual-focus model—blending traditional energy operations with emerging AI infrastructure needs.
E. Will Gray II, CEO of New Era Helium, emphasized the company’s commitment to becoming a central player in the evolution of AI infrastructure. “Our vision is to power the next era of AI infrastructure from the heart of America’s energy backyard—the Permian Basin,” Gray said. “Interest in Texas Critical Data Center validates the value of our location and our strategy. We’re committed to building out a scalable, resilient platform to meet the rising energy demands of AI.”
