NextEra and Related win $22.3B Texas energy project

The U.S. Department of Commerce and the Republic of Korea selected NextEra Energy Resources and Related Companies, in partnership with Lewis Energy Group, to develop Project Star. The project is an energy infrastructure campus valued at more than $22 billion in Encinal, Texas, designed with 6.47 gigawatts (GW) of natural gas-powered generation capacity.

NextEra Energy Resources and Related Companies plan to develop, build and operate the generation facilities, while Lewis Energy Group will supply land, produced water and Texas natural gas. The site will power a privately funded 5 GW data center campus developed by Related Digital on an adjacent property and feed excess electricity back into the ERCOT power grid. Initial generation is expected to come online as early as 2029, subject to permits and regulatory approvals.

The energy campus will be jointly owned by the United States and the Republic of Korea under a bilateral trade agreement announced on July 30, 2025, and a strategic investment memorandum signed on November 14, 2025. The venture will integrate technology and supply chain capabilities from Korean companies. Construction is estimated to create 8,400 jobs at its peak, followed by approximately 170 permanent positions at the power campus once operational, alongside hundreds of permanent data center roles.

NextEra Energy has invested over $20 billion and operates more than 9 GW of power generation in Texas. John Ketchum, chairman and CEO of NextEra Energy, stated that Project Star demonstrates how energy infrastructure and economic growth advance together by adding new supply to meet demand and support grid reliability.