Key Takeaways

  • Big Digital Energy agreed to a 50:50 joint venture with 10NetZero to develop a 311MW AI-focused data center campus in Hood County, Texas
  • The site provides 17MW of live power with expansion pathways to 111MW of grid capacity and 311MW with behind-the-meter natural gas
  • The move reflects accelerating AI compute demand and growing market activity across the Dallas, Fort Worth region

Big Digital Energy, Inc. has accelerated its expansion into AI infrastructure with a land acquisition and joint venture in Hood County, Texas. The Nasdaq-listed company, previously known as Mawson Infrastructure Group, entered a 50:50 partnership with 10NetZero and signed a letter of intent to acquire a powered industrial site southwest of the Dallas, Fort Worth metroplex.

The site spans 50 acres and includes more than 30,000 square feet of existing structures that Big Digital Energy and 10NetZero plan to repurpose for data center operations. The existing 17MW of live power allows the operators to bypass the multi-year wait times typically associated with new power interconnections. Big Digital Energy noted the grid allocation can be expanded to 111MW, with behind-the-meter natural gas generation potentially raising the site's total capacity to 311MW.

This proposed 311MW campus aligns with the region's largest new developments. The Dallas, Fort Worth area has emerged as a major U.S. digital infrastructure hub, supported by available land, strong fiber corridors, and favorable grid conditions for large-scale facilities. According to Data Center Frontier, the market hosts approximately 423MW of commissioned power with 811MW of planned capacity in its pipeline. The region has already attracted major operators including Digital Realty, Aligned Data Centers, and STACK Infrastructure.

The chairman of Big Digital Energy stated the deal is central to the company's shift from its cryptomining origins toward an AI and high-performance computing footprint. According to a company statement, the Hood County plan demonstrates a strategic push to identify powered land suitable for rapid conversion into AI-capable environments. The chief operating officer emphasized execution speed, noting that the partnership with 10NetZero positions the company to bring hundreds of megawatts online years sooner than a comparable greenfield build.

Global data center power capacity is projected to roughly double from 100GW in 2023 to about 200GW by 2030, according to a CBRE forecast cited by Data Center Dynamics. As grid congestion, transformer shortages, and zoning limits constrain expansion rates, operators frequently face multi-year challenges securing land and interconnection. A site with 17MW energized today mitigates these risks, providing immediate flexibility for operators serving high-density AI workloads.

10NetZero utilizes a Digital Midstream platform that specializes in converting stranded or flared natural gas into electricity directly at the source. In Texas, this type of behind-the-meter generation provides an economic complement to grid power, creating a mechanism to scale capacity past what traditional interconnections supply. This partnership indicates Big Digital Energy is preparing multiple power procurement pathways to reach its target 311MW capacity.

Big Digital Energy continues to reshape its portfolio following a recent rebranding. The company manages active data center capacity and development sites in the PJM Interconnection region, with operating footprints in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The company is also integrating operations with Six Thirty AI, which manages a portfolio of power sites across multiple states.

The transition from cryptomining to AI and high-performance computing reflects broader sector demands. AI workloads favor locations with ample land and robust power infrastructure, aligning with criteria that previously drove mining site selection. However, AI tenants typically require longer-term contracts and distinct facility designs guided by reliability benchmarks such as the Uptime Institute Tier Standard and ISO/IEC 27001. This structural shift allows operators to secure different returns if they can deliver energized capacity ahead of competitors constrained by interconnection queues.

Big Digital Energy engaged Northland Capital Markets as an advisor to evaluate site-level financing and potential partnerships. This advisory relationship is designed to shape the long-term mix of AI and high-performance computing tenants, supporting the substantial capital requirements necessary to pivot from cryptocurrency mining to full-scale digital infrastructure development.

The Dallas, Fort Worth corridor has seen heavy investment as operators pursue increasingly dense compute opportunities. Public and private cloud growth remains steady, and the United States currently operates as the world's largest data center market, holding approximately 40% of global installed capacity. According to McKinsey and IDC research, hyperscale and colocation spending in the U.S. is forecast to increase at a 10% to 12% compound annual growth rate through 2027.

While full site details for the Hood County project remain pending, Big Digital Energy is actively evaluating additional acquisitions from powered land portfolios. The joint venture with 10NetZero establishes a strategic framework for the company's expansion, utilizing flexible behind-the-meter energy solutions and pre-energized sites to accelerate AI infrastructure deployment in the Texas market.