• Project Star is a more than USD 22bn energy campus in Encinal, Texas, planned with 6.47 GW of natural gas-fired generation to support an adjacent 5 GW data center campus
• Related Companies and NextEra Energy Resources will develop, build and operate the generation assets with Lewis Energy Group, while excess power is expected to flow to the ERCOT grid
• The project is tied to the US-Korea trade agreement, is expected to create about 8,400 peak construction jobs, and could begin bringing generation online as early as 2029

The US Department of Commerce and the Republic of Korea selected Related Companies and NextEra Energy Resources, in partnership with Lewis Energy Group, to develop Project Star, a more than USD 22bn energy infrastructure campus in Encinal, Texas, according to a press release.

The project is expected to include 6.47 GW of natural gas-fired generation and support a privately funded 5 GW data center campus being developed by Related Digital on an adjacent site. Excess generation would be supplied to the ERCOT grid. The developers said the project aligns with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s push for large data centers to bring additional generation to the system.

NextEra Energy Resources and Related plan to develop, build and operate the generation assets, while Lewis Energy will provide associated infrastructure, including natural gas supply. The project is expected to create about 8,400 jobs at peak construction and roughly 170 permanent jobs once operational, in addition to hundreds of permanent jobs at the neighboring data center campus.

The announcement is part of the US-Korea trade agreement announced in July 2025 and a strategic investment memorandum signed in November. Under the agreement, the energy campus will be jointly owned by the Republic of Korea and the US and built and operated by the Related-NextEra team, with Korean companies expected to participate in the project’s technology and supply chain.

Development is expected to occur in phases, with initial generation potentially coming online as early as 2029, subject to permitting and other approvals.NPM is tracking four other Related Digital projects in North America.