New Era Energy & Digital accelerates AI infrastructure strategy amid growing industry interest

Proactive - Interviews for investors

New Era Energy & Digital CEO Will Gray joined Steve Darling from Proactive to discuss the company’s ongoing transformation from a conventional helium and natural gas operator into a next-generation AI infrastructure and power solutions leader. Gray emphasized that the company’s third-quarter financial results reflect not a slowdown in traditional operations, but a deliberate and strategic redeployment of capital toward high-value digital infrastructure. Gray explained that New Era is heavily investing in the development of its powered shell data centers in Odessa, Texas, a region increasingly recognized as a prime location for energy-intensive AI and high-performance computing deployments. The CEO noted that constructing these facilities requires sophisticated planning, major engineering work, and significant capital, with build-out costs ranging from $8 million to $12 million per megawatt—a level of investment consistent with global hyperscale data-center economics. Reflecting on the company’s early pivot into behind-the-meter power solutions, Gray recalled the initial skepticism New Era faced when it began positioning itself ahead of the AI-infrastructure boom. “We were laughed at a year ago… now that’s all anyone’s talking about,” he said, highlighting how industry sentiment has since shifted as grid constraints and soaring power demand become central issues across North America. Gray confirmed that New Era is currently in active discussions with multiple potential tenants, including major technology operators evaluating the company’s West Texas assets. However, he emphasized the rigorous due-diligence process required for hyperscale and AI-compute clients, who assess power reliability, infrastructure scalability, and long-term energy economics before committing to multi-year leases. On the financing front, Gray made it clear that New Era’s build-out will be funded primarily through institutional and asset-level project financing, rather than relying heavily on equity raises. This approach, he said, is designed to protect shareholders from unnecessary dilution while generating compelling returns from long-term data-center revenue streams. Gray added that New Era’s strategy—combining energy-sector expertise, behind-the-meter power, and a high-growth digital infrastructure model—has attracted the attention of tier-one financial institutions, private credit providers, and major technology firms, all of whom are seeking scalable power solutions for AI and high-performance computing. #proactiveinvestors #neweraheliuminc #nasdaq #nuai #oil #gas #perimianbasin #HeliumProduction #NaturalGas #DataCenters #AIInfrastructure #PecosSlope #VerticalIntegration #EnergyMarkets #PermianBasin #Semiconductors #PowerGeneration #ProactiveInvestors