Edgen Stock·Mar 31 2026, 17:54Key Takeaways:
In a sign of the energy sector's growing role in powering artificial intelligence, former BP chief executive Bernard Looney will lead Prometheus Hyperscale, a new developer planning data centers in 2 US states.
"Prometheus Hyperscale aims to build projects in Wyoming and Texas," the company announced, targeting regions with abundant energy resources to meet the intense power demands of modern AI infrastructure.
The appointment of a high-profile oil and gas veteran to lead a data center company is a strategic move. Data centers for AI, which can house tens of thousands of Nvidia GPUs, require massive, stable power supplies, a challenge that has become a primary bottleneck for the tech industry's growth. Looney's experience in managing large-scale energy projects is seen as a key asset.
This leadership choice could attract significant investor interest to the private company and the wider data center market, which is forecast to require 35 gigawatts of power by 2030 in the US alone. It signals a new phase where expertise in energy procurement and infrastructure is as critical as technical skill.
The move comes as hyperscalers like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Google are facing increasing difficulty in securing sufficient power for their expanding AI-focused data center fleets. These companies are now signing power purchase agreements years in advance and exploring direct investments in energy generation, including nuclear and renewables. Prometheus appears poised to capitalize on this trend, developing power-first data center sites.
Looney, who spent his entire career at BP before his abrupt departure in September 2023, oversaw the company's pivot toward lower-carbon energy. His transition to the power-intensive data center industry highlights the critical link between digital infrastructure and the energy grid. The choice of Wyoming and Texas is also strategic, offering access to both renewable energy sources like wind and solar, as well as reliable natural gas.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
