SpaceX Could Build an AI Center and Gas-Fired Power Plant in Starbase

    The Starbase city government in Texas has announced a public hearing on a gas-fired power plant and a supercomputer complex for artificial intelligence. The project, with an initial cost of $24 billion (approximately AZN 40.8 billion), is expected to belong to “SpaceX.” The company’s “Starship” rocket program also operates in Starbase. Most of the city’s territory belongs to “SpaceX,” and most residents also work for the company.    The project could face opposition from Gina Hinojosa, the future governor of Texas. She has called for no new data centers to be approved until stricter rules are adopted to address potential harm. Although local conditions appear favorable for “SpaceX,” decisions made at the state level could affect the project’s progress.    “SpaceXSI” has so far expanded the “Colossus I” and “Colossus II” data centers near the Mississippi-Tennessee border. Pollution caused by the numerous gas turbines at the facilities has prompted protests from local residents. Residents have filed a lawsuit seeking limits on emissions. Since Starbase is a company town populated mainly by “SpaceX” employees, local opposition to the new project is expected to be weaker.    The new facility appears to be part of “SpaceX’s” plan to build a 10 GW computing system in 2027. The project’s scale and budget could make it one of the largest and most expensive artificial intelligence data centers built at a single location. According to the company, the disclosed amount may apply only to the initial phases and may also cover subsequent expansion. This could create additional computing capacity in Starbase in the coming years.    Alongside the land-based project, “SpaceX” is also working to put data centers into orbit. Elon Musk has unveiled plans for the first-generation “AI1” satellite, which will carry computing equipment with a peak capacity of 150 kW. The company has also submitted its 1-million-satellite “Orbital Data Center System” project to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Following the latest US midterm elections, Musk wrote in a post on “X” that data centers in space now looked more attractive.