Fermi at the 2026 Texas Nuclear Summit

Texas is emerging as a center of gravity for the next generation of nuclear energy, bringing together the land, workforce, industry and leadership needed to build at scale.

Fermi America joined leaders from across the nuclear industry, government, academia and business this week at the 2026 Texas Nuclear Summit in Houston.

Hosted by the Texas Nuclear Alliance, the Summit focused on the rapidly expanding role Texas can play in America's nuclear energy future and the work required to move the industry from renewed interest to execution.

Throughout the Summit, one message was clear: Texas has many of the ingredients necessary to lead the next era of nuclear development.

The state offers abundant land, a deep and growing energy workforce, world-class universities and research institutions, and a business environment accustomed to developing some of the largest energy and infrastructure projects in the world. As electricity demand accelerates, particularly from artificial intelligence and advanced computing, those advantages are becoming increasingly important.

For Fermi America, that opportunity is already taking shape at Project Matador.

Big Nuclear, Texas Scale

A highlight of the Summit was a fireside conversation between Fermi America CEO Lee McIntire and Texas Tech University System Chancellor Brandon Creighton, titled "Big Nuclear, Texas Scale: Building Project Matador."

Their discussion explored the opportunity to develop new nuclear generation at the scale required by the next generation of American infrastructure, as well as the importance of bringing together industry, higher education and communities to make that development possible.

Project Matador, located on ~8,400 acres in the Texas Panhandle, is being developed as a 17 GW private energy and intelligence campus capable of supporting up to 15 million square feet of hyperscale infrastructure.

Nuclear power is a foundational part of that vision. Fermi America plans to deploy four Westinghouse AP1000 reactors alongside natural gas, solar and battery energy storage, creating a diversified behind-the-meter power platform designed for the extraordinary energy requirements of AI.

Building More Than Power

The conversations in Houston also underscored that the next generation of nuclear development will require more than technology.

It will require workforce development, strong partnerships with universities and industry, responsible stewardship of land and water, and sustained engagement with the communities where these projects are built.

Fermi America's partnership with the Texas Tech University System is central to that approach. Project Matador represents an opportunity not only to build generation and digital infrastructure, but to help develop the engineers, operators, construction professionals and technical workforce needed to support America's growing energy and AI industries for decades to come.

The 2026 Texas Nuclear Summit demonstrated the momentum building across the state.

Texas is ready to build the next generation of nuclear energy. At Project Matador, that work is already underway.