New Era Energy & Digital to Acquire Full Ownership of Texas AI Data Center Venture December 24, 2025 In a significant consolidation move within the booming AI infrastructure sector, New Era Energy & Digital has moved to take full control of a major Texas data center project. The company announced it has signed a binding agreement to acquire SharonAI's 50 percent stake in their joint venture, Texas Critical Data Centers (TCDC), for a total consideration of $70 million. The acquisition underscores the intense competition and strategic value placed on large-scale, power-dense data center campuses designed to support next-generation artificial intelligence workloads. By gaining 100 percent ownership of TCDC, New Era Energy & Digital secures command over a critical asset in a high-growth market. The transaction involves a complex payment structure. A $10 million cash portion includes a $150,000 non-refundable deposit due within 14 days of December 19, 2025, with the remainder payable upon certain milestones by March 31, 2026. An additional $10 million will be paid in New Era Energy & Digital common stock by the same date. The largest component is a $50 million senior secured convertible promissory note, maturing on June 30, 2026, which grants SharonAI the right to convert 20 percent of the amount into common stock. Furthermore, SharonAI is obligated to reimburse approximately $2.5 million in land funding costs by January 9, 2026. The underlying asset, the TCDC campus in Ector County, Texas, is a substantial development. Planned for a 438-acre site, the project is slated for an initial capacity of 250 megawatts, with a long-term potential to scale beyond 1 gigawatt. The first 100MW phase is targeted for operation by December 2026, with the remaining 150MW to follow six months later. To power the campus, TCDC has established agreements with third-party providers for behind-the-meter gas-fired generation. The venture executed a non-binding letter of intent with Thunderhead Energy Solutions for around 250MW of capacity and a separate LOI with Mawgan Capital for another 250MW via its Digital Zero Power product. For connectivity, a memorandum of understanding with GlobeLink outlines plans for a dedicated 1,600-mile fiber optic network across Texas to support AI workloads. This full buyout provides New Era Energy & Digital with unfettered strategic control over a key infrastructure project at a time when demand for AI compute is straining power grids and real estate markets, particularly in Texas. It allows the company to capture the full upside of the development and streamline decision-making for future expansion. The deal also reflects a trend of energy and infrastructure firms deepening their direct investments in data centers to leverage their expertise in power procurement and site development. Source: datacenterdynamics
New Era Energy & Digital to Acquire Full Ownership of Texas AI Data Center Venture
