In the heart of Texas, a daring vision is unfolding that could reshape the future of electricity generation and power the burgeoning world of artificial intelligence. Nate Franklin, the ambitious CEO of Pacificico Energy, is unveiling plans for what he hopes will be the largest electric power generating facility in the United States. This proposed complex will span a whopping 84 acres of flat, scrubby land in Pecos County, Texas—an area so sparsely populated that it only has about 14,000 residents spread over 4,800 square miles. Talk about wide-open spaces!
Franklin’s ambitious blueprint, dubbed GW Ranch, aims to harness the power of natural gas and solar energy. His plan includes building dozens of natural gas turbines capable of producing an impressive 7.5 gigawatts of power. That’s enough energy to keep the lights on for around 5 million Texas homes—imagine flipping on the lights in every house in New York City all at once! Additionally, Franklin wants to install solar panels generating 750 megawatts and batteries with storage capacity of 1.8 gigawatt hours. It’s a staggering endeavor, but Franklin needs a cool $12 billion to bring this dream to fruition.
Before any construction can kick off, Franklin needs some big-name commitments from major cloud service providers—innovators like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. These companies require substantial amounts of energy to run their data centers, and they might just be the golden ticket to helping Franklin secure the funds he needs. He is confident that the growing demand for AI applications will justify the expense of power projects like his. With hyperscalers planning to spend an eye-popping $650 billion by 2026, the hustle for energy sure seems worthwhile. Who wouldn’t want to jump on the AI train?
Hailing from a unique background in energy development, Franklin is no stranger to the high stakes of this industry. He originally launched Pacificico Energy in Tokyo back in 2012, where he achieved remarkable success, transforming his modest operation into Japan’s largest energy developer. With significant backing from global finance giants and strategic partnerships with Japanese energy firms already investing in U.S. natural gas assets, Franklin is well-prepared to tackle his latest venture.
A remarkable aspect of his strategy is that Franklin intends to stay disconnected from Texas’ state power grid, which can often lead to complications and opposition. Instead, he has his sights set on leveraging what he calls “the cheapest, most abundant gas in the world,” which is located a stone’s throw away from the future site of GW Ranch. This resource comes as a byproduct of oil drilling—a savvy move that could keep costs low, especially since natural gas prices can dip significantly when oil prices soar. With the recent trend of communities resisting data centers due to energy concerns, Franklin’s approach stands out as a promising solution.
With gas turbines already on order and an ambitious rollout plan targeting 2028 for a gigawatt of gas-fired power, the clock is ticking for Franklin and Pacificico. While funding remains a hurdle, there’s a silver lining—Japanese firms have shown an increasing interest in American energy projects, which could provide a significant boost. If Franklin’s vision comes to fruition, it won’t just power AI supercomputers; it could also inject vast amounts of energy and investment into the local Texas economy, reshaping the landscape of power generation along the way. Keep an eye on this audacious dream, for it just might be the fuel that powers America’s AI future.
