Google could soon offer financial backing to Anthopic for its multibillion-dollar data centre in Texas. According to the Financial Times, Alphabet’s firm may finalise the construction loans for Nexus Data Centres, the operator of the 2,800-acre platforms. Google is believed to help the Anthropic project secure financing at a lower rate due to its strong credit rating.
How Big Could Be The Anthropic Data Centre
The FT report suggests that the data centre leased to AI lab Anthropic is already under construction, and it managed to receive the early-stage loan from asset manager Eagle Point. Reportedly, the initial phase of the project is expected to cost more than $5 billion, with several banks offering to provide finance by mid-year. This data centre is likely to deliver around 500 megawatts of capacity, which is capable enough to power half a million homes. Moreover, the campus is tipped to be expanded to about 7.7 gigawatts.
Location And Energy Details
The report notes that the Texas location is a key benefit, along with the proximity to major gas pipelines operated by Enterprise, Energy Transfer, and Atmos. This may enable Nexus to function its own gas turbines, reducing reliance on grid power and avoiding peak-hour pricing hikes.
Interestingly, the FT report cites that data centre developers have increased focus on reducing their dependence on grid connections, which could be time-consuming and prove expensive to secure. Rather, companies are preferring behind-the-meter power technology with around 50 gigawatts. While Elon Musk’s Colossus data centres in Tennessee and Mississippi function on off-grid gas turbines, Amazon and Microsoft are believed to use large behind-the-meter projects.
The Google and Anthropic project signals the constant push by the tech firms to secure their infrastructure while managing costs, amid the ongoing legal and regulatory challenges over military applications of AI.
