SAN JOSE, CA (GTC), Mar 19, 2026 – Nscale has signed a letter of intent with Microsoft to provide 1.35 gigawatts (GW) of AI compute capacity at the West Virginia Monarch AI campus. The deployment uses NVIDIA Vera Rubin GPUs as Vera Rubin NVL72 systems, based on the NVIDIA Vera Rubin DSX AI Factory reference design.
Nscale has acquired American Intelligence & Power Corporation (AIPCorp), backed by Fidelis New Energy and 8090 Industries, including the Monarch Compute Campus in Mason County, West Virginia. The site spans up to 2,250 acres and includes a state-certified AI microgrid with power capacity scalable to more than 8 GW.
Under the collaboration with Microsoft, Nscale will build and operate AI data center infrastructure for GPU deployments based on NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 GPUs and future technologies. The deployment will roll out in phases starting in late 2027.
The infrastructure will operate under a framework that includes an initial multi-year compute services term and a long-term data center lease structure. The campus is intended to support AI training and inference capacity in the United States.
“This collaboration with Microsoft marks a pivotal milestone both for Nscale and the development of the Monarch Campus,” said Josh Payne, CEO of Nscale. “By integrating our specialized AI infrastructure with Microsoft’s global platform, we are creating a foundation for innovation that can scale alongside the most ambitious AI models in the world”.
Rising AI demand is increasing pressure on data center capacity, while power constraints limit new supply. McKinsey estimates AI-related demand could reach 156 GW by 2030. Nscale plans to expand beyond its current capacity of more than 1 GW with the Monarch Compute Campus.
The site supports expansion up to 8 GW of power capacity for AI compute deployments.
The campus will connect to AI hubs through high-speed fiber, and its proximity to Ashburn and Chicago enables low-latency connections for AI workloads.
“Microsoft’s datacenter approach is to build the best global infrastructure informed by near-term and long-term demand,” said Jon Tinter, president, business development and ventures at Microsoft. “Our investments blend owned datacenters, leased facilities, and strategic collaborations. This collaboration with Nscale and NVIDIA is an important step to deliver meaningful AI innovation to our customers.”
“AI is becoming essential infrastructure for every industry,” said Nico Caprez, vice president, global AI infrastructure growth, NVIDIA. “With this large-scale NVIDIA DSX AI Factory Blueprint, Nscale is building the infrastructure required to produce intelligence at industrial scale and power the next wave of global innovation.”
Power Collaboration with Caterpillar
Through a collaboration with Caterpillar, Nscale will deploy Caterpillar G3500 series natural gas generator sets to reach 2 GW of power generation by the first half of 2028, supporting the NVIDIA Vera Rubin DSX AI Factory reference design.
“This collaboration reflects Caterpillar and our dealers’ continued focus on supporting customers that require primary, continuous-duty power at scale through our broad energy solutions portfolio,” said Melissa Busen, senior vice president of electric power, Caterpillar. “Projects like Monarch demonstrate how Caterpillar’s natural gas generation platforms are being deployed as core infrastructure for data centers and other power intensive applications where reliability, speed of deployment, and lifecycle performance are critical.”
Providing Positive Community Impact
Nscale is developing the campus with state and local officials and community partners. The design uses on-site power generation, allowing the facility to operate independently of the local grid, eliminating the burden on existing utility customers and protecting ratepayers’ bills. The microgrid can also connect to the grid in the future to export power.
Nscale is pursuing carbon sequestration in West Virginia to offset emissions. At full 8 GW capacity, the campus uses a high-efficiency design that reduces water consumption and does not rely on municipal water supply or affect residential users.
Source: Nscale
About Nscale
Nscale Ltd., founded in 2024, is a UK-based technology company specializing in AI-optimized cloud infrastructure and high-performance computing (HPC) solutions. Headquartered in London, with data centers in Glomfjord, Norway, Nscale offers a vertically integrated platform encompassing public and private cloud services, serverless inference, GPU clusters, and AI development tools. Its infrastructure is powered by renewable energy, emphasizing sustainability. Nscale serves various industries, including education, finance, government, healthcare, legal, manufacturing, software, and telecommunications, providing scalable solutions for AI model training, inference, and development. In January 2025, the company secured $155 million in Series A funding led by Sandton Capital Partners, supporting its expansion across Europe and North America.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is a global technology company founded in 1975 and headquartered in Redmond, WA. The company develops software, hardware, cloud services, and digital platforms for business and consumer users. Its products include the Windows OS, Microsoft 365 productivity applications, Xbox gaming consoles, and Surface devices. Microsoft also operates online services such as Azure cloud computing, Bing search, LinkedIn, and the Microsoft Store. The company provides enterprise software, business applications, development tools, and security services for industries including finance, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and government. Microsoft serves individual consumers, businesses, and public sector organizations through direct sales, partners, and cloud-based delivery models. It supports developers with platforms such as Visual Studio and related tools. Microsoft operates in approx. 200 countries. The company employs about 228,000 people worldwide.
About Caterpillar
Caterpillar Inc. is a U.S.-based manufacturer that produces construction and mining equipment, engines, and related services for industrial use. Founded in 1925, it is headquartered in Irving, TX. The company offers products such as excavators, loaders, trucks, and tractors, along with diesel and natural gas engines, industrial turbines, and locomotives. Caterpillar serves industries including construction, mining, energy, transportation, and infrastructure. Its customers include contractors, resource companies, governments, and industrial operators worldwide. The company operates through segments such as construction industries, resource industries, energy and transportation, and financial products. It maintains manufacturing and service operations across global markets and distributes products through its dealer network. Caterpillar has about 112,900 employees worldwide.