Lewis Energy, NextEra Plan $22B Texas Data Center Campus Project Star

San Antonio-based Lewis Energy Group, Related Digital and NextEra Energy Resources are partnering to develop a $22 billion data center and power campus in Encinal, Texas, the companies announced alongside the U.S. Department of Commerce and the South Korean government. The project, dubbed Project Star, will be built southwest of San Antonio along the I-35 corridor to Laredo. Lewis Energy will supply land, natural gas and water infrastructure. NextEra will develop and operate a natural gas generation facility, with excess electricity routed to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Power generation is expected to begin as soon as 2029. Related Digital, which holds $55 billion in data center developments, did not name a tenant. South Korea's involvement stems from a strategic investment initiative under the two countries' trade agreement. The timeline reflects growing U.S. scrutiny of hyperscale data centers, with Texas officials imposing permits and moratoriums.