TLDRs;
- Oracle stock edged slightly lower after plans to expand a major Texas AI data center with OpenAI were scrapped.
- The Abilene campus remains active, but negotiations over financing and changing infrastructure needs halted the proposed expansion phase.
- Meta Platforms is reportedly considering leasing the unused capacity as competition for AI infrastructure intensifies globally.
- Nvidia has taken a strategic role in the project, pushing for its chips to power the large-scale facility.
Shares of Oracle (ORCL) moved slightly lower after reports revealed that the company and OpenAI have abandoned plans to expand a massive artificial intelligence data center located in Abilene, Texas. The proposed expansion had been part of a broader effort to scale AI infrastructure capable of supporting the rapidly increasing computational demands of advanced models.
According to people familiar with the matter, negotiations between the companies stalled after disagreements over financing structures and shifting forecasts around OpenAI’s computing capacity requirements. As a result, the expansion plan for the facility was dropped, though the broader partnership between the two firms remains intact.
Despite the halted expansion, Oracle continues to work on previously agreed infrastructure commitments. The company signed a deal last year to develop approximately 4.5 gigawatts of capacity for OpenAI, and that project remains underway as both companies pursue other AI computing initiatives.
The Abilene site itself is owned by infrastructure developer Crusoe Energy Systems, which has been transitioning from cryptocurrency mining operations toward building large-scale AI data centers.
Massive Stargate Infrastructure Vision
The Texas campus is widely viewed as a flagship location tied to the ambitious Stargate AI infrastructure concept. The initiative originally envisioned building one of the largest computing hubs ever constructed, potentially involving up to five gigawatts of computing power and requiring tens of billions of dollars in funding.
Financing for the Abilene campus alone has reportedly reached about $15 billion, making it one of the most expensive data center developments ever financed. The project began scaling up operations in 2025, when the first phase of the facility came online after months of equipment deployment and infrastructure installation.
During that rollout, Oracle began shipping advanced server racks powered by the latest AI chips produced by Nvidia. These racks incorporate the company’s next-generation GB200 architecture, designed specifically for large-scale AI training clusters.
However, while the facility remains operational and expanding gradually, the scrapped expansion highlights the complexity of building massive AI infrastructure at gigawatt scale. Industry observers note that infrastructure companies entering the AI race often face engineering, financial, and logistical challenges that can slow development timelines.
Nvidia’s Growing Strategic Influence
One of the most notable elements of the situation is the evolving role of Nvidia within the AI infrastructure ecosystem. Traditionally known as the dominant supplier of GPUs used in AI training, Nvidia has increasingly taken a more active role in shaping large infrastructure projects.
Oracle and OpenAI have scrapped plans to expand a flagship artificial intelligence data center in Texas after negotiations dragged over financing and OpenAI’s changing needs https://t.co/KQLYwrU07E pic.twitter.com/RRPltuzKFX
— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) March 6, 2026
Reports indicate that Nvidia placed a $150 million deposit with Crusoe tied to the Abilene site. Beyond supplying hardware, the company has also helped connect potential partners that could utilize the facility’s computing capacity.
In particular, Nvidia has reportedly encouraged interest from Meta Platforms, which is evaluating the possibility of leasing part of the data center’s infrastructure. Such a move could ensure that Nvidia’s chips remain the primary computing engines powering the site rather than hardware from competitors like Advanced Micro Devices.
This type of strategic involvement suggests a shift in the AI supply chain, where hardware companies are no longer simply vendors but also facilitators of partnerships between infrastructure providers and AI developers.
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