The announced $22.3 billion Project Star campus in Encinal, Texas, is planned around 6.47 GW of natural gas generation for an adjacent 5 GW digital infrastructure campus, with initial generating resources anticipated as early as 2029, subject to required permitting and approvals.
Published by Allstream Insiders
Allstream Insiders Summary
Project Star has been announced as a $22.3 billion energy infrastructure campus in Encinal, Texas, planned to combine 6.47 GW of natural gas-fired generation with an adjacent 5 GW digital infrastructure campus. According to a September 30, 2026, joint announcement from NextEra Energy, Related Companies and Lewis Energy Group, excess generation is intended to be delivered to the grid.
Related Companies and NextEra Energy Resources plan to develop, build and operate the planned generation facilities in partnership with Lewis Energy Group. The announcement says Lewis Energy Group would provide land, produced water, natural gas supply and associated infrastructure. Initial generating resources are anticipated to come online as early as 2029, subject to required permitting and approvals.
The project remains an announced development. The release does not identify generating-unit technology, a construction start date, a final investment decision, a component-level capital budget, interconnection design, equipment suppliers, engineering firms or construction awards.
Project Star at a Glance
| Item | Company- or government-reported detail |
|---|---|
| Project | Project Star energy infrastructure campus |
| Location | Encinal, Texas |
| Stated campus scale | $22.3 billion |
| Planned natural gas generation | 6.47 GW |
| Adjacent digital infrastructure campus | 5 GW, privately funded and developed by Related Digital on an adjacent site |
| Generation and fuel-development roles | Related Companies and NextEra Energy Resources plan to develop, build and operate the generation; Lewis Energy Group is expected to provide land, produced water, natural gas supply and associated infrastructure |
| Initial-generation target | As early as 2029, subject to required permitting and approvals |
| Peak construction-employment estimate | Approximately 8,400 jobs, according to the announcement |
What would Project Star include?
The announced configuration combines a large natural gas-fired generation campus, an adjacent digital infrastructure campus and delivery of excess generation to the grid. The 6.47-GW generation figure is the stated capacity for the planned power campus. The announcement identifies a separate, adjacent 5-GW digital campus that Related Digital is developing.
The disclosed $22.3 billion applies to the broader energy infrastructure campus. No allocation has been reported for the generation facilities, digital infrastructure, gas-supply system, interconnection, land, water infrastructure or other components. The overall figure should therefore not be treated as a disclosed budget for the power plant alone.
Who would develop and operate the generation facilities?
Related Companies and NextEra Energy Resources plan to develop, build and operate the natural gas-powered generation, with Lewis Energy Group supplying associated infrastructure, including gas. The announcement further says Lewis is providing the land, produced water and natural gas supply.
The release describes a strategic investment announcement by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Government of the Republic of Korea. It does not provide a dollar amount for that investment or a detailed financing structure. It also does not identify project-level engineering, procurement or construction contracts.
How would Project Star relate to the grid?
The stated plan is for the planned gas generation to directly support the adjacent 5-GW digital campus while sending excess generation to the grid. The release does not quantify how much electricity would be available to the grid at a particular time or identify the project’s interconnection facilities, transmission route or operating arrangements.
The article’s reported capacities should not be read as current operating capacity. They are part of a planned, phased development that remains subject to permitting and approvals.
What is the announced timing?
The project is expected to be developed in phases, with initial generating resources anticipated to come online as early as 2029, subject to required permitting and approvals. The announcement does not provide a construction start date, a detailed phased-capacity schedule, a commercial-operation date for the full 6.47 GW or a delivery schedule for the adjacent digital campus.
It also does not disclose the generating technology, unit count, power-plant configuration, gas-pipeline route, transmission design or project-specific permitting milestones. Those items remain to be disclosed as development progresses.
What has not been awarded or disclosed?
No equipment suppliers, engineering firms, EPC contractors, construction packages or procurement schedules are named in the announcement. While the release includes an estimate of approximately 8,400 jobs during peak construction activity, that estimate should not be interpreted as an announced contractor scope or solicitation.
The announcement also references approximately 170 expected permanent jobs at the power campus once operational. Both the construction and permanent-employment figures are project estimates stated by the companies, not completed employment results.
Allstream perspective: defined power and digital scale, with execution details ahead
Project Star is notable because it pairs a specifically sized natural gas-generation plan with a separately stated adjacent digital-infrastructure load. The announcement also identifies the proposed development, construction, operating, land and fuel-supply roles of its three named partners.
However, the project remains in development. The next decision-useful disclosures would include technology selection, permitting progress, interconnection details, construction timing, capital allocation, equipment awards and contractor packages. Until then, Project Star should be tracked as an announced and phased development—not as a completed facility or a confirmed procurement opportunity.
