Project Matador data center: contractors and jobs in Texas

Q: Where should a tradesperson apply?

Check Fermi’s full job board for owner-side jobs. [53] For field craft, contact the hiring contractor or the relevant local: IBEW 602 for electrical work, UA 404 for piping, Carpenters 665, or SMART 49 for sheet metal. [27] [29] [31] [32] Ask about a named Matador assignment and current dispatch rather than treating a training page as a job.

Project Matador is Fermi America’s proposed private-power and AI data-center campus in Carson County, Texas, northeast of Amarillo. Site work and equipment procurement have been reported,[1][2] but the advertised 17-gigawatt buildout is a future design target, not operating capacity. The immediate contractor questions are narrower: which firms have documented roles, how can a trade partner approach them, and which jobs actually name this project?[1][2]

Contractors can start with Lee Lewis’s trade-partner registration and ask its West Texas estimating team about Matador packages.[16][17] Workers should check Fermi’s full official job board for owner roles, then ask a hiring contractor or trade local about craft calls. A regional training page does not confirm a Matador opening.[53][27]

Who is the general contractor? Fermi named Lee Lewis Construction for construction management and site delivery in 2025, when the announced concept was 11 GW. That does not make it the awarded general contractor for every power, nuclear and data-center package in the later 17 GW plan. Primoris has a separate first-six-turbine balance-of-plant scope; Hyundai’s nuclear design work is not a reactor construction award.[10][41][13]

Project fact	Dated evidence and meaning
Location	Near U.S. Highway 60 and FM 2373, roughly 15 miles northeast of Amarillo, according to the first power-plant permit notice. This is Carson County, not an Amarillo city procurement project.[3]
Developer and land	Fermi America develops the campus on land leased from the Texas Tech University System; the Tribune described the original 99-year ground lease in November 2025.[4]
Planned scale	Fermi’s October 2026 website describes approximately 8,400 acres and a 17 GW design target. Earlier documents use smaller land figures. No uniform surveyed boundary or complete operating power capacity is established by those figures.[5]
Customer phase	The TensorWave lease has closing conditions. Fermi’s October 14 SEC fact sheet targets phased delivery of 222 MW total facility power (156 MW critical IT capacity) from Q4 2027 through early 2028, later and more precise than its August second-half 2027 target. About $6.5 billion is expected 15-year lease revenue, not construction spending.[1][49]
Power and permits	Fermi reports an initial approximately 6 GW clean-air permit. It filed for an additional approximately 5 GW in March 2026; an application is not another issued permit. Nuclear units remain under NRC application review.[6][7][8]
Capital and schedule	Fermi reported more than $1.5 billion invested in August. Its homepage gives conflicting first-power years, 2026 in prose and 2027 in a tile; an engineering job posting also targets 2027.[1][5][47] The data-center lease requires a Texas Tech notice before vertical building construction, due by December 31, 2026 under the June 30 filing. These are targets and conditions, not observed operation.[50]

Next dated checks: October 31, 2026 is the extended TensorWave lease closing deadline.[34] November 23 is the NRC deadline for public comments on its draft nuclear environmental impact statement.[54] December 31 is the Texas Tech notice deadline before vertical data-center construction under Fermi’s June 30 filing, and the NRC target for the third application part.[50][8] January 2027 is the water-agreement deadline for Fermi to complete and dedicate specified city infrastructure.[51] A deadline is not proof that its condition has been met.

Who is actually on the project?

Company	Documented scope and status	Route to check
Lee Lewis Construction	Named construction management and site delivery partner for the 2025 concept; no campus-wide package award established.[10]	Trade partners and registration; ask West Texas estimating about actual bids.[16][17]
Parkhill, with Terracon and Henderson Engineers	Infrastructure design and supporting consulting; Parkhill also reported survey and staking work.[10][11][39]	Parkhill project account gives scope, not an open trade bid.[39]
Titan Production Equipment	Awarded manufacture and design of fuel-gas letdown stations, not site installation.[40]	Titan award notice.[40]
Primoris Energy Services	First six SGT-800 turbines’ balance-of-plant work; final simple-cycle EPC still under negotiation in June.[41]	Fermi scope announcement.[41]
Hillcore Energy Capital	Proposed 2.6 GW power-center framework; first block depended on definitive terms and notice.[12]	Framework release.[12]
Hyundai E&C	Early engineering for four proposed reactors; later EPC role described as possible.[13]	Fermi design update.[13]
NAES and CBRE	Gas-fleet operations and first data-center operations and maintenance, respectively, not named civil primes.[14]	Fermi’s NAES announcement and Fermi contact.[14][18]

In August 2025, Fermi named Parkhill for infrastructure engineering and architectural design.[10] It named Lee Lewis Construction for construction management and site delivery.[10] Parkhill also named Terracon and Henderson Engineers as supporting consultants.[11] The announcement described an 11 GW concept at the time, not an award of every future 17 GW trade package to Lee Lewis.[10][11]

Parkhill’s March 2026 field account says its surveyors set site control points and mapped waterline and gas-pipeline routes, groundwater tanks and a security fence. It also describes boundary and topographic surveys, construction staking and an aerial LiDAR survey.[39] This documents survey and design work. It does not say Parkhill installed the lines or fence.[39]

In January 2026, Titan Production Equipment announced a contract to engineer, design and manufacture Project Matador’s fuel-gas letdown stations. The award names an equipment package, not gas-plant engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) or on-site installation.[40]

For the power side, Fermi and Hillcore Energy Capital signed a framework for a proposed 2.6 GW power center.[12] The plan includes roughly 2.5 GW of gas generation and about 100 MW of solar and storage.[12] Its first roughly 350 MW block depended on final agreements and a notice to proceed. The framework does not award all the construction packages.[12]

Fermi described Hyundai Engineering & Construction’s work as early engineering design for four proposed AP1000 reactors. That includes site layout, cooling, cost and schedule work. Fermi called a later EPC role potential. The NRC still lists the combined-license application under review. Early design work is neither a nuclear construction award nor a license.[13][8]

Fermi selected NAES to prepare for and operate its natural-gas fleet.[14] Its work covers operating procedures, maintenance systems, training and plant crews as units enter service.[14] NAES is not named as the civil or mechanical construction prime. Fermi also selected CBRE to operate and maintain the first data center.[14]

Fermi’s June 30 announcement named Primoris Energy Services for balance-of-plant work on the first six Siemens SGT-800 gas turbines.[41] The scope covers underground utilities, equipment foundations and connections between generating units.[41] Fermi also said Primoris had excavated all six turbine power islands and taken delivery of material for underground utility work.[41] The parties were still working toward a final EPC agreement for the simple-cycle phase.[41] Do not read that initial agreement as a signed final EPC contract or a campus-wide award.[41] Pipeline & Gas Journal also reported the six-turbine scope.[15]

Four separate work-access routes: Lee Lewis trade qualification, Fermi professional applications, contractor careers or regional referrals, and training. None promises a Matador bid, dispatch or job. — Work-access routes are separate. Lee Lewis qualification, Fermi owner-side hiring and regional trade intake do not promise a Matador bid or craft job. View full-size guide.

Where can contractors seek work?

Lee Lewis’s trade-partner page links a public BuildingConnected project list, registration for future bids and COMPASS prequalification. Its instructions tell firms seeking the West Texas bidder list to create an account and email lubbockestimating@leelewis.com.[16][17] On October 28, its public list showed 11 opportunities, none named Matador.[46] Private invitations and later listings may differ. Ask the estimating team about the actual scope and phase.

Fermi’s contact page takes general inquiries.[18] Its procurement job description says building packages move through scope definition, commercial terms and contractor award before construction handoff.[19] Ask who buys the package you want rather than assume there is one campus-wide bid board. Fermi’s Amarillo Chamber listing establishes membership, not a chamber-issued Matador request for proposals.[20] Amarillo’s bidding platform handles city purchases, not Fermi’s private procurement.[21]

A useful first inquiry states the trade, geographic coverage, project references, safety record, bonding or insurance capacity where applicable, and the specific building or power scope sought. Confirm the buyer, bid due date, prequalification requirements, site-access rules and payment terms in the actual solicitation. These are diligence questions, not published Matador bid conditions.

Check Texas trade credentials before bidding

Texas licenses depend on the work, not on whether it is called a data-center project. An electrical contracting firm needs a state contractor license and a licensed master electrician of record.[42] A firm that installs, repairs or maintains heating, cooling or refrigeration systems needs the appropriate state air-conditioning and refrigeration contractor license; companies must employ a licensed contractor at each permanent location.[43]

For plumbing contracts, the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners describes a Responsible Master Plumber who supervises the work, obtains required permits and ensures workers hold the proper license or registration.[44] For fire sprinklers, the State Fire Marshal’s Office lists company registration and individual responsible-managing-employee licenses, with categories that differ for general and underground sprinkler work.[45] Check the precise scope, any applicable exemption and local permit requirements with the licensing authority. A state credential alone does not qualify a firm for a particular Matador package; the buyer may also require prequalification, insurance, safety records or site access.

Jobs: owner roles are not craft openings

Start with Fermi’s full employer job board, captured October 28; filter by location and open the exact posting before applying.[53] Its Amarillo postings tied to Matador include an HSSE Area Manager for data-center construction safety,[22] a DC Construction Manager representing the owner in the field,[23] and a Procurement Manager for owner-furnished equipment for power-generation purchases.[24]

The gas-generation Project Manager works from design through commissioning.[25] The DC Procurement Manager handles owner-side building packages.[26] These are management, safety and purchasing jobs, not craft openings. Recheck availability on the board.

For craft work, start with an employer that holds a package or the local for your trade. IBEW Local 602 has an experienced-worker application. It directs beginners to the West Texas Electrical JATC.[27][28] UA Local 404 has an Amarillo office. Its five-year apprenticeship trains pipefitters, welders, plumbers and HVAC-R technicians.[29][30]

The Southern Regional Council of Carpenters lists Amarillo Local 665.[31] SMART Local 49 represents sheet-metal workers in West Texas and links to apprenticeship opportunities.[32] These regional pages do not promise a Matador assignment or available dispatch. Ask the local or hiring contractor about current calls, jurisdiction, credentials and travel before making plans.

Which trades should watch which workstream?

The gas-power scope has the clearest early construction detail. Fermi reported installed gas lines, perimeter fencing and on-site water distribution in May 2026.[2] Parkhill described survey work, while Titan announced fuel-gas letdown-station manufacture.[39][40]

Fermi describes turbine foundations, underground utilities and systems to connect the generating equipment.[41] These records point to civil work, excavation, concrete, pipe, electrical work, controls, lifting and commissioning as possible work categories. They are not a list of open subcontracts or jobs. Fermi’s progress page lists Siemens and GE gas turbines in different stages of delivery or refurbishment. Delivery is not commissioning.[33]

Data-center buildings have their own design-build purchases and later interior systems work. Fermi’s construction-manager listing says its delivery partner supplies design, labor, supervisors and field engineering. Fermi oversees performance as the owner.[23] Structural steel, roofing and enclosure, electrical distribution, fiber and telecom, cooling, plumbing, fire protection, controls and commissioning are possible work categories. The sources reviewed do not name a subcontractor for each package. Ask the building team which packages are being bought and how far the drawings have progressed before pricing work.[19]

Nuclear work has a longer regulatory path. Fermi says a Hyundai seminar covered specialized mechanical installation, heavy lifting, modular methods and nuclear construction standards.[13] The NRC has accepted two of three application parts for review. It lists December 31, 2026 as the target for the third part, not an issued license.[8] Contractors should take nuclear-quality requirements from future bid documents, not from a gas-plant or data-center job.

Matador dates: October 31 lease closing deadline, November 23 nuclear comments, December 31 Texas Tech notice condition, and Q4 2027 to early 2028 tenant delivery target. Not completed milestones. — Contract conditions and review deadlines are separate from delivery targets. Sources: October 14 delivery fact sheet, Texas Tech lease condition, NRC comments and lease-closing extension. View full-size dates guide.

What could change the work schedule?

Texas Tech’s notice is a building-stage condition, not a ban on the reported gas-line, fencing or water work. Fermi’s June 30 Form 10-Q says it must receive a notice to proceed from the university system before vertical construction of data-center facilities on the leased site, by December 31, 2026. Texas Tech may terminate the lease if the notice is not received by then. Among its conditions is a Phase 1 tenant lease of at least 200 MW, along with other requirements.[50] Bounded searches of subsequent company, SEC and Texas Tech material through October 28 did not verify issuance or an amendment. That leaves the notice status unresolved, not proven unmet.

Water delivery is another defined piece of site work. The signed October 2025 City of Amarillo agreement caps delivery at 2.5 million gallons per day, measured daily, from the Carson County Well Field. Fermi must pay to build two wells, connecting pipe and a backup generator, and dedicate the improvements to the city by January 2027. The city’s duty to supply water for the agreement’s term depends on that completion and dedication; city supply is subject to its drought plan. The agreement runs 20 years, with renewal only by mutual agreement.[51] Traveling crews should verify lodging before accepting an assignment.

Legal disputes need the same scope check as permits. In its June 30 filing, Fermi describes former CEO Toby Neugebauer’s Texas Business Court case over board bylaws and a shareholder meeting. The filing says he withdrew portions of a request for a temporary restraining order and injunction in May; it does not report a court order stopping Matador construction.[50] KVII separately reported a shareholder suit alleging misleading tenant-demand and funding statements, which Fermi denied, and Amarillo leaders’ discussion of a possible city data-center moratorium. Matador is outside Amarillo city limits; KVII did not describe that discussion as a Carson County stop order.[52] These disputes are relevant to financing and management diligence, not proof that a crew is legally barred from this site.

An earlier tenant deal shows why signed terms and available funding must be checked separately. Fermi’s December 2025 SEC filing describes an unnamed prospective tenant under a nonbinding September letter of intent.[48] That tenant agreed in November to advance up to $150 million for construction, subject to conditions.[48] No money was drawn. Exclusivity expired December 9, and the tenant terminated the advance agreement on December 11 while lease talks continued.[48] That filing does not identify TensorWave as the earlier tenant. The later TensorWave lease is a separate disclosed agreement.[48][1]

The TensorWave lease was signed in August, but Fermi extended its closing date to October 31, 2026. Closing conditions included work letters, guaranties, operating schedules, board approvals and enough construction financing for the project.[34] On October 13, Fermi announced AMD credit support for the first 222 MW phase and a framework for future expansion of up to 650 MW. It called the support a step toward financing.[35] Its October 21 CEO letter outlined a financing strategy, not a completed funding close for every phase.[36] Before committing crews or equipment, confirm funding and notice to proceed for the specific package. Workers should get the hiring employer, start date, wages, overtime, travel pay and lodging terms in writing before relocating. Contractors should confirm the buyer, invoicing, retainage and change-order rules before pricing work.

The first gas-air authorization and the additional application are different records.[6][7] The TCEQ canceled an August 24 public meeting for proposed permits 183462, PSDTX1704 and GHGPSDTX271 and said it would reschedule.[37] That cancellation does not revoke the first permit, approve the second application or prove a project-wide construction halt. The NRC issued a draft environmental impact statement for the proposed nuclear units in September 2026. That is not a combined license.[38][8]

Project Matador questions

Is Project Matador under construction?

Fermi reported gas lines, fencing and water-distribution work in May 2026 and described construction as underway in its August TensorWave announcement. Those are dated company statements about site and infrastructure work, not proof that the full 17 GW campus or the 222 MW tenant building is complete.[2][1]

When will the first data center open?

Fermi’s October 14 SEC fact sheet targets phased delivery of the 222 MW facility beginning in Q4 2027 and completing in early 2028. Its August release had given the broader second-half 2027 target. The lease’s closing conditions and October 31, 2026 extended deadline still matter. Delivery is not a verified opening or completion of the larger campus.[49][1][34]

How much will it cost?

The company releases reviewed do not give one current total development cost for all planned power and data centers. The roughly $6.5 billion TensorWave figure is expected revenue over an initial 15-year lease; Fermi’s more than $1.5 billion figure describes invested buildout capital as of its August announcement. Neither is the total cost of a completed 17 GW project.[1]

Is AMD paying for construction?

Fermi announced AMD credit support for the first 222 MW customer phase in October 2026 and called it a milestone toward securing project financing. The release does not state that AMD paid all construction costs or that project financing had closed.[35]

Can a subcontractor bid through the city or chamber?

Lee Lewis publishes a trade-partner registration and prequalification route.[16] Its public list had no Matador-named opportunity among 11 shown on October 28; private invitations remain possible.[46] Fermi’s chamber listing establishes membership, while Amarillo’s bidding platform handles city purchases rather than Fermi’s private bids.[20][21]

Where should a tradesperson apply?

Check Fermi’s full job board for owner-side jobs.[53] For field craft, contact the hiring contractor or the relevant local: IBEW 602 for electrical work, UA 404 for piping, Carpenters 665, or SMART 49 for sheet metal.[27][29][31][32] Ask about a named Matador assignment and current dispatch rather than treating a training page as a job.

For a broader comparison of construction labor and projects, use the AI data-center construction and workforce hub. The Colossus contractor and jobs report covers a separate Memphis project; its contractor paths do not transfer to Carson County.

How we checked this report

We reviewed company disclosures, the water agreement, regulatory notices, employer job pages and trade routes through October 28, 2026. Published plans, bidder registration and regional union intake have different meanings from operating power, an open Matador bid and a craft vacancy. Confirm changing dates and package terms with the buyer, employer or agency before committing.