Data center profile · About 1.35 miles south of Rice, Navarro County, Texas (Interstate 45 at NE 3270)

Hedgehog Rice Power and Data Campus (Navarro County)

Rice, Texas site with air registration for 1,500 MW of on-site Bloom fuel cells, marketed at up to 600 MW and for sale; no tenant.

Permitted, unbuilt. Texas lists the generation plant's air registration as issued on Dec. 29, 2025, but no construction, equipment order, tenant or financing has been found. The filing's own August 2026 start date has passed, and the owner is marketing 100% of the project for sale.
1,500 MW
on-site generation in the air registration
4,615 Bloom Energy fuel cell units at 325 kW each; this is generation nameplate, not data center load
600 MW
data center capacity the company says the site can support
developer says by end of 2027; no IT capacity figure is stated in any filing
104 MW
first phase, then 300 MW and 800 MW
developer's website plan; not in the permit
450+ acres
site
developer says it owns it with mineral and surface rights
OperatorHedgehog USA, Inc. (Plano, Texas)
CustomerNone announced (powered-land developer)
Planned IT capacity480 MW at full build-out (our estimate from the company's 0.6 GW campus power figure)
First building in serviceOur estimate: 2027 (range 2027 to 2029); company says 2027.
Next deadlineEnd of 2027: Company target (developer says): up to 600 MW of data center capacity supportable by end of 2027
Power

Power and the grid

None energized or contracted yet · 1,500 MW permitted

On-site Bloom solid oxide fuel cells on natural gas (islanded)Air registration issued
1,500 MW
permit nameplate; none ordered or built; the only generation in the registration; designed to run without the grid State agency · Dec. 2025
First fuel cell phasePlanned
104 MW
developer says it starts with 104 MW of baseload; no date Company · Oct. 2026
PermittedProposed

Getting on the grid

Who supplies what, what it costs, and what is still not public.

  1. Dec. 3, 2025
    Air registration filed
    A consultant files for 4,615 fuel cell units on behalf of Hedgehog USA. State agency · Dec. 2025
  2. Dec. 29, 2025
    Registration shown as issued
    The state's permit-search record lists registration 182354 as issued and active. see Permits
  3. July 21, 2026
    Gas supply deal announced
    Idemitsu agrees to long-term energy supply and firm pipeline transport; term and price are not public. News report · July 2026
  4. Aug. 2026
    Filing's start dates pass
    The filing projected construction and operation to begin in Aug. 2026; no activity or written approval to build has been found. State agency · Oct. 2026
Permits

Permits checklist

1 granted · 4 checked, nothing on file

Risks

What could slow it down

Money

Money on record

100% of the project is for sale (Marathon Capital is exclusive advisor, per the July 2026 company release). News report · July 2026

Not on record: project financing: none disclosed, no debt, equity or Form D filing found SEC filing · Oct. 2026; Idemitsu supply agreement: undisclosed, long-term, term, price and exit terms not public News report · July 2026; tax abatement: no reinvestment zone for Hedgehog in county records Local government · July 2025

Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
  1. Oct. 28, 2025
    Paper trail Hedgehog USA, Inc. registered in Texas
  2. Dec. 3, 2025
    Permits Air registration filed for 4,615 fuel cell units (about 1,500 MW) State agency · Dec. 2025
  3. Dec. 29, 2025
    Permits State record shows the registration as issued State agency · Dec. 2025
  4. Jan. 20, 2026
    Money Analyst note flags the filing as a proof point for fuel cell maker Bloom (press) News report · Jan. 2026
  5. July 21, 2026
    Power The owner says it is marketing 100% of the project for sale through Marathon Capital (press). News report · July 2026
  6. Aug. 2026
    Construction Filing's projected construction and operation start passes with no activity found State agency · Dec. 2025
  7. End of 2027
    Construction Company target for up to 600 MW of data center capacity News report · July 2026
The buildings

Specs

4,615 units
Bloom Energy Server 6.5 fuel cell blocks, 325 kW each
State agency · Dec. 2025
Up to 5M sq ft
compute pads for Phase I on about 220 acres (developer)
Company · Oct. 2026
Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Owners
  • Hedgehog USA, Inc.: developer and permit holder
  • Ahmad Popal: named CEO in the state filing (a July 2026 release names Jeff Barber as CEO)
  • Atul Anand: co-founder and vice chairman
Decision-makers
  • TCEQ Air Permits Division: air registration
Power partners
  • Bloom Energy: fuel cell technology named in the filing
  • Energy Transfer: pipelines and metering station
  • Idemitsu Kosan: gas supply counterparty
Advisors
  • Marathon Capital: exclusive sale advisor
  • Trinity Consultants: air permit consultant
Still unknown

Open questions

Where this comes from

104 records from 12 documents

Drawn from news reports, state agency records, company statements, business registries, local government records, public and commercial datasets and securities filings, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.

News report 5State agency 2Company 2Local government 2Dataset 2SEC filing 1
Evidence

Every quote behind this page

Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.

Power (31)
  • Site location: 32.1964,-96.475627 (TCEQ PSP record point for the Hedgehog Power Generation Plant, approx 1.35 mi south of downtown Rice at NE 3270/1603 and Interstate 45)
    “DRIVE SOUTH APPROXIMATELY 1.35 MILES FROM DOWNTOWN RICE, TX AT THE INTERSECTION OF NE 3270/1603 AND INTERSTATE 45”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Announced: Dec. 29, 2025
    “Hedgehog Power Generation Plant; Registration 182354; issued to Hedgehog USA, Inc.; RN112330550; status ISSUED PERMIT”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • On-site generation: 1,500 MW
    “Hedgehog is proposing to install and operate 4,615 server blocks to generate approximately 1,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Construction stage: none - no construction reported; the TCEQ air registration was filed Dec 3, 2025 and the campus is being marketed as development-ready powered land
    “hereby submitting the enclosed registration for an Air Quality Standard Permit for Electric Generating Units for the Hedgehog Power Generation Plant”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Interconnection status: No grid interconnection - self-supply design: the on-site Hedgehog Power Generation Plant (Bloom fuel-cell blocks, ~1,500 MW of generation per the TCEQ EGU standard-permit registration) powers the
    “Hedgehog is proposing to install and operate 4,615 server blocks to generate approximately 1,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Generating units on the permit: 4615 units
    “Hedgehog is proposing to install and operate 4,615 server blocks to generate approximately 1,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Generator maker and model: Bloom Energy Server 6.5 (ES 6.5)
    “The server blocks are Bloom Technology model Energy Server 6.5 (ES 6.5). Each ES 6.5 is rated at 325 eKW power generation capacity.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Name: Navarro County AI Campus (Hedgehog Rice Power and Data Campus)
    “Hedgehog Rice Power and Data Campus”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Aliases: Hedgehog Rice Power and Data Campus; Hedgehog Power Generation Plant; Hedgehog Rice Campus
    “Facility Name: Hedgehog Power Generation Plant”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • On-site generation: 1,500 MW
    “Hedgehog is proposing to install and operate 4,615 server blocks to generate approximately 1,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Power plan: onsite (behind-the-meter solid oxide fuel cells; island-capable)
    “Inverters operate in grid-forming mode to establish and maintain island voltage and frequency.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • On-site power technology: Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), non-combustion electrochemical generation
    “Bloom Energy's solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) platform provides a non-combustion pathway to convert fuels directly to electricity through an electrochemical process.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Generator maker and model: Bloom Energy Server 6.5 (ES 6.5), 325 kW net AC per block
    “The server blocks are Bloom Technology model Energy Server 6.5 (ES 6.5). Each ES 6.5 is rated at 325 eKW power generation capacity.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Generating units on the permit: 4615 blocks
    “Hedgehog is proposing to install and operate 4,615 server blocks to generate 1,500 megawatts (MW) of electricity.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Role of the on-site plant: prime (sole generation source in the registration; island baseload)
    “DC output from each stack is conditioned by power electronics and inverted to AC 480 V. Inverters operate in grid-forming mode.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Gas supplier: Energy Transfer Company (operates the on-site metering and regulation station; dual Energy Transfer transmission pipelines bisect the property)
    “Pipeline-quality natural gas is delivered to the on-site M&R station operated by Energy Transfer Company.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Water use stated: Fuel-cell generation uses no water during normal operation
    “Water: None during normal operation”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • IT capacity: not stated
    “DOCUMENTED ABSENCE: no IT (critical) load figure is stated in the TCEQ registration, the Jul 21, 2026 release, or the company website. The only capacity figures anywhere are the 600 MW announced data-center capacity and the 1,500 MW generation nameplate.”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Utility service: not stated
    “DOCUMENTED ABSENCE: no serving utility, electric service agreement, or utility-contracted capacity exists in any source opened; the campus is designed as a behind-the-meter islanded plant with no grid interconnection stated.”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Grid operator: ERCOT (region; campus designed islanded, ERCOT participation optional per company)
    “allowing the site to operate entirely islanded with optional pathways for grid interconnection and ERCOT market participation when desired”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Interconnection status: No ERCOT interconnection request or queue position found; islanded behind-the-meter design
    “allowing the site to operate entirely islanded with optional pathways for grid interconnection and ERCOT market participation when desired”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Phases: Company plan: 104 MW initial SOFC phase, then a 300 MW ramp, then 800 MW and beyond (website); the TCEQ registration covers the full 1,500 MW nameplate in a single registration with no phases
    “The initial phase begins with a 104 MW behind-the-meter SOFC foundation, engineered for continuous baseload operation”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Company website markets: 450+ contiguous acres, dual Energy Transfer pipelines with over 2 Bcf/day regional throughput, 104 MW initial SOFC phase ramping 300 MW then 800 MW and beyond, Phase I pads for up to 5M sq ft, 1-
    “dual high-pressure Energy Transfer natural gas pipelines that physically bisect the property, providing regional throughput exceeding 2 Bcf/day and secured firm fuel commitments”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Stated campus size: 600 MW
    “creating a development-ready environment capable of supporting up to 600 MW of data center capacity by the end of 2027”
    Company · July 2026 · grade B
  • Utility: None - self-supply planned; no serving utility named in any source opened
    “Facility Name: Hedgehog Power Generation Plant; Type of Facility: Permanent”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade B
  • No local opposition group, lawsuit, moratorium, county agenda item, or local-press coverage of the campus was located as of Oct 2026. The project's entire public footprint is one state air registration and one company pr
    “Riot Platforms files to add building to cryptomine and data center campus in Corsicana, Texas; Riot Blockchain to build 1GW cryptomining farm in Texas”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • Stated campus size: 600 MW
    “creating a development-ready environment capable of supporting up to 600 MW of data center capacity by the end of 2027”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • Original target date: End of 2027
    “capable of supporting up to 600 MW of data center capacity by the end of 2027”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • Current target date: End of 2027 (unchanged in the Jul 21, 2026 release)
    “capable of supporting up to 600 MW of data center capacity by the end of 2027”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • Hedgehog USA signed a long-term energy supply agreement with Idemitsu covering its Navarro County campus and initial powered-land portfolio; the release frames firm gas transport committed ahead of any tenant commitment
    “Securing power is increasingly the gating factor in data center development (Jeff Barber, Chief Executive Officer of Hedgehog)”
    Company · July 2026 · grade C
  • RBC Capital research note flagged Hedgehog's TCEQ air-permit filing as a Bloom Energy proof point (1.5 GW Navarro County, phased rollout starting at 104 MW), moving Bloom stock. A permit filing is not an equipment order:
    “The filing, from an entity named Hedgehog USA, outlines a phased rollout starting with 104 megawatts of behind-the-meter solid oxide fuel cells”
    News report · Jan. 2026 · grade C
Money and contracts (13)
  • gas delivery: scope On-site metering and regulation (M&R) station operated by Energy Transfer delivers pipeline-quality natural gas to the fuel cells
    “Pipeline-quality natural gas is delivered to the on-site M&R station operated by Energy Transfer Company.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Square feet: 5000000 sq ft
    “Phase I (approximately 220 acres), engineered for activation with pads designed to support up to five million square feet of compute structures”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Tenant status: none found - powered-land developer; no tenant announced
    “none found - powered-land developer, no tenant announced”
    grade B
  • Incentives: None found - no Chapter 312 abatement or reinvestment zone for Hedgehog located in Navarro County records
    “The Commissioners Court hereby elects to participate in tax abatements.”
    Local government · July 2025 · grade B
  • Tenants: None announced
    “enabling Hedgehog to deliver fully integrated, energy-ready sites ahead of construction”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • Tenant status: No tenant announced; project marketed for sale (Marathon Capital is exclusive financial advisor for the sale of 100% of the project)
    “Marathon Capital continues to serve as exclusive financial advisor for the sale of 100% of the project”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • Financing: None disclosed - no project financing announced; the project is being marketed for sale through Marathon Capital
    “Marathon Capital continues to serve as exclusive financial advisor for the sale of 100% of the project, while providing strategic guidance on development, commercialization, and market positioning.”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • energy supply: scope
    “Subject to the agreement, Idemitsu will provide long-term energy supply solutions tailored to large-load, mission-critical facilities”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • energy supply: firm transport commitment
    “securing pipeline infrastructure and firm transportation capacity is essential to creating a truly shovel-ready development”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • energy supply: term Long-term; number of years not disclosed
    “today announced it has entered into an agreement for long-term energy supply agreement with Idemitsu”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • energy supply: termination FINDING: no termination, cancellation, or condition terms are disclosed in the public announcement; the executed agreement is not public, so no clause-level capture is possible
    “the agreement provides a pathway to reliable, scalable power capacity for Hedgehog's initial portfolio of powered land sites”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • sale mandate: scope Exclusive financial advisor for the sale of 100% of the project
    “Marathon Capital continues to serve as exclusive financial advisor for the sale of 100% of the project”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
  • The project is being marketed for sale: Marathon Capital is exclusive financial advisor for the sale of 100% of the project. The sponsor's exit path is a sale to a developer/operator, not self-build.
    “Marathon Capital continues to serve as exclusive financial advisor for the sale of 100% of the project”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C
Permits and government (12)
  • Permittee: Hedgehog USA, Inc. (TCEQ Regulated Entity RN112330550), Hedgehog Power Generation Plant, Rice, Navarro County, Texas
    “Hedgehog Power Generation Plant; Registration 182354; issued to Hedgehog USA, Inc.; RN112330550; Rice, Navarro County, TX”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Air New Source Registration (Air NSR): Issued (PSP status ISSUED PERMIT; record status ACTIVE)
    “Hedgehog Power Generation Plant; Registration 182354; issued to Hedgehog USA, Inc.; RN112330550; status ISSUED PERMIT”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Announced: Dec. 3, 2025
    “Submitted electronically via STEERS Re: EGU Standard Permit”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Air Quality Standard Permit for Electric Generating Units (Standard Permit 6005;: registration submitted via STEERS
    “On behalf of Hedgehog USA, Inc. (Hedgehog), Trinity Consultants is hereby submitting the enclosed registration for an Air Quality Standard Permit for Electric Generating Units”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Air Quality Standard Permit for Electric Generating Units (Standard Permit 6005): condition - written approval required before construction
    “No owner or operator of an electric generating unit shall begin construction and/or operation without first obtaining written approval from the executive director.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Air Quality Standard Permit for Electric Generating Units (Standard Permit 6005): condition - commence before subchapter revision (30 TAC 116.610(a)(2))
    “Construction or operation of the project must be commenced prior to the effective date of a revision to this subchapter under which the project would no longer meet the requirements for a standard permit.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Air Quality Standard Permit for Electric Generating Units (Standard Permit 6005): applicability determination (applicant analysis)
    “As outlined in Table 1-1 the project emissions are below the major source thresholds for all pollutants; therefore, PSD permitting requirements do not apply.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Air Quality Standard Permit for Electric Generating Units (Standard Permit 6005): operating conditions - fuel limit and NOx re-certification
    “the owner or operator shall re-certify a unit every 16,000 hours of operation, but no less frequently than every three years”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Air Quality Standard Permit for Electric Generating Units (Standard Permit 6005): projected start dates in filing
    “Projected Start of Construction (provide date): August 2026 Projected Start of Operation (provide date): August 2026 Length of Time at the Site: Permanent”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Navarro County Commissioners Court (special meeting): Item (d): Renewal of the county's participation in tax abatement programs and reestablishing criteria and guidelines for granting tax abatement (Texas Tax Code ch. 31
    “PASSED and APPROVED by majority vote of the Commissioners Court of Navarro County, Texas, this 28th day of July, 2025”
    Local government · July 2025 · grade A
  • The TCEQ filing's projected August 2026 construction and operation starts have passed with no TCEQ written approval located (approval is a precondition to construction under the standard permit) and no construction repor
    “No owner or operator of an electric generating unit shall begin construction and/or operation without first obtaining written approval from the executive director.”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Texas paused approvals of new ERCOT large-load data-center interconnections on Aug 3, 2026 pending a queue audit (474 GW of requests). The pause targets grid interconnections, which this islanded behind-the-meter campus
    “On August 3, Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas and ERCOT to pause further approval of data centers advancing through ERCOT's grid-interconnection process”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Site and other (9)
  • Developer: Hedgehog USA, Inc.
    “Company or Other Legal Customer Name: Hedgehog USA, Inc.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Address: Approx. 1.35 miles south of downtown Rice, TX, at NE 3270/1603 and Interstate 45; Rice, TX 75155 (street address TBD in filing)
    “Drive south approximately 1.35 miles from downtown Rice, TX; at the intersection of NE 3270/1603 and Interstate 45, the property is on the right.”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade A
  • Filing record: Hedgehog USA, Inc. has no SEC footprint: no Form D and no filing of any kind names the company; its only primary public statements are company releases
    “Form D search for "Hedgehog USA" returned 0 documents”
    SEC filing · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Acres: 450 acres
    “Spanning more than 450 contiguous acres under unified control, the campus offers a rare combination of scale and readiness.”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Water availability claimed: 1-10 MGD
    “Raw water availability, ranging from 1 to 10 million gallons per day, provides significant headroom for both short-term deployments and long-term scale.”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Cooling: Not fixed - company markets evaporative, hybrid, or immersion cooling optionality
    “featuring a robust portfolio of water pathways for evaporative, hybrid, or immersion cooling systems”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Stage: Announced only
    “Customer Reference Number: TBD Regulated Entity Number: TBD”
    State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Construction stage: None - no construction reported in any source opened; the TCEQ filing projected an August 2026 construction start
    “Projected Start of Construction (provide date): August 2026 Projected Start of Operation (provide date): August 2026 Length of Time at the Site: Permanent”
    State agency · Dec. 2025 · grade B
  • Land control: Company claims full ownership of the property with all mineral and surface rights secured
    “full ownership of the property with all mineral and surface rights secured prior to any customer engagement”
    News report · July 2026 · grade C