Fermi America's Project Matador data center campus in the Texas Panhandle will use approximately 80 percent less water t
Fermi Inc., operating as Fermi America, presented its environmental stewardship approach on June 24, 2026, when Chief Site Development Officer Charlie Hamilton testified before the Texas House Natural Resources Committee at an interim hearing on data center water use and conservation. Hamilton, a sixth generation Texan whose family has worked the Panhandle for more than 130 years, emphasized that Project Matador is being engineered to meet the demands of the AI economy while protecting the region's water resources with the same protections that local farmers and ranchers demand of themselves.
The centerpiece of Hamilton's testimony was Fermi America's four pillar water strategy, which operates throughout all stages of the campus operations. The strategy maximizes dry and hybrid cooling across the entire facility, maximizes reuse through closed loop systems, matches water quality to each specific use, and pursues innovative reductions in consumption with relentless focus. The campus will rely on air cooled condensers and advanced hybrid cooling towers that cool primarily with air and move water through closed loop systems. Water is cleaned and recycled on site rather than drawn fresh and discarded. Flush water from cooling systems is captured, treated, and returned to the loop instead of being discharged. Wastewater from sinks and restrooms is treated and reused for industrial purposes with no off site discharge. Industrial tasks run on recycled, non drinking grade water kept entirely separate from drinking water, and planned systems will capture rainwater from campus rooftops for reuse.
Fermi America's ambition extends beyond efficiency to a goal of becoming water positive. The company's engineers are actively studying technologies including absorption chilling, brackish desalination, and controlled environment agriculture for future integration into the project. Project Matador operates under the same water framework as every Panhandle irrigator, limited to one acre foot of water per acre of land per year as set and enforced by the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District, with no special exemptions or waivers. Additionally, Fermi America has agreed to pay the City of Amarillo twice the standard municipal water rate while building water infrastructure for the city at the company's own cost.
Jacobo Ortiz, Co-President of Fermi America, stated that Project Matador proves the company does not have to choose between leading the world in AI compute and being a good steward of the environment. Hamilton concluded his testimony with the conviction that economic growth and responsible stewardship must go hand in hand. Chairman Cody Harris responded positively to the testimony, saying the company is setting a really good example for the state on how to approach the challenge the right way.