Sources close to the matter reveal that after Oracle withdrew from the artificial intelligence (AI) data center project in Abilene, Texas, Microsoft is now in deep discussions to lease several hundred megawatts of data center capacity within the campus. This facility, developed by startup Crusoe, is considered a key indicator of global trends in AI data center development, lending significant weight to these negotiations. Microsoft intends to leverage the campus to bolster its Azure AI cloud services, including offering cloud server leasing options for OpenAI. Earlier, Oracle had secured eight buildings within the campus for OpenAI to deploy computing clusters. However, these expansion plans were halted due to shifts in financing and demand. At present, both Microsoft and Meta are negotiating to lease the campus, which encompasses approximately 600 megawatts of capacity, with a phased rollout anticipated.