Fermi America Project Matador
Fermi America's planned AI data center and private power campus near Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle, designed around an 11 GW private grid of gas, solar and planned nuclear generation. Site work and foundations were underway in late 2025; construction paused in February 2026 while Fermi awaited a state air permit.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 11,000 MWEnergy campus power generation, not data center load
- Estimated cost
- Not available
- Building size
- Not available
- Construction start
- Not available
- Expected completion
- Not available
- Last verified
- Not yet re-verified
Companies and roles
- Developer
- Subcontractor
Unions
No union agreement was found in the sources reviewed. This does not mean the site is non-union.
Locals with jurisdiction over this site
Local with jurisdiction over this site (not confirmed on the job)
- Electricians
- Plumbers & pipefitters
- Ironworkers
- Sheet metal & HVAC
- Operating engineers (heavy equipment)
- Carpenters
- Boilermakers
Prevailing wages (government minimums)
Minimum hourly pay the U.S. Department of Labor sets for federally funded building work in Carson County, by trade. It is a floor, not what this project pays: data center jobs often pay above scale, and non-union survey rates can be many years old.
| Trade | Wage /hr | Overtime 1.5× | Double time 2× | Benefits /hr | Total comp /hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ElectriciansUnion rate · IBEW Local 602 · effective Sep 1, 2022ELECTRICIANOvertime 1.5× $44.12 · Double time 2× $58.82 · Benefits /hr $12.73 | $29.41 | $44.12 | $58.82 | $12.73 | $42.14 |
| Plumbers & pipefittersUnion rate · Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 404 · effective Sep 1, 2022PLUMBEROvertime 1.5× $42.96 · Double time 2× $57.28 · Benefits /hr $10.65 | $28.64 | $42.96 | $57.28 | $10.65 | $39.29 |
| IronworkersUnion rate · Iron Workers Local 263 · effective Jun 1, 2025IRONWORKER, STRUCTURALOvertime 1.5× $44.46 · Double time 2× $59.28 · Benefits /hr $8.43 | $29.64 | $44.46 | $59.28 | $8.43 | $38.07 |
| Sheet metal & HVACUnion rate · Sheet Metal Workers Local 49 · effective Jun 1, 2022SHEET METAL WORKER (HVAC DUCT INSTALLATION ONLY)Overtime 1.5× $40.08 · Double time 2× $53.44 · Benefits /hr $12.13 | $26.72 | $40.08 | $53.44 | $12.13 | $38.85 |
| LaborersNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateLABORER: COMMON OR GENERALOvertime 1.5× $18.51 · Double time 2× $24.68 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $12.34 | $18.51 | $24.68 | $0.00 | $12.34 |
| Operating engineers (heavy equipment)Union rate · Operating Engineers Local 178 · effective Jun 1, 2020POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR ((3) HYDRAULIC CRANES 59 TONS AND UNDER)Overtime 1.5× $48.53 · Double time 2× $64.70 · Benefits /hr $13.10 | $32.35 | $48.53 | $64.70 | $13.10 | $45.45 |
| CarpentersUnion rate · Carpenters Local 665 · effective Jan 1, 2025CARPENTEROvertime 1.5× $42.86 · Double time 2× $57.14 · Benefits /hr $9.30 | $28.57 | $42.86 | $57.14 | $9.30 | $37.87 |
| BoilermakersUnion rate · Boilermakers Local 74 · effective Jan 1, 2025BOILERMAKEROvertime 1.5× $49.76 · Double time 2× $66.34 · Benefits /hr $24.92 | $33.17 | $49.76 | $66.34 | $24.92 | $58.09 |
| InsulatorsNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateINSULATOR - MECHANICAL (DUCT, PIPE & MECHANICAL SYSTEM INSULATION)Overtime 1.5× $29.66 · Double time 2× $39.54 · Benefits /hr $7.13 | $19.77 | $29.66 | $39.54 | $7.13 | $26.90 |
| PaintersNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old ratePAINTER (BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY), EXCLUDES DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPINGOvertime 1.5× $21.41 · Double time 2× $28.54 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $14.27 | $21.41 | $28.54 | $0.00 | $14.27 |
| BricklayersNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateBRICKLAYEROvertime 1.5× $30.06 · Double time 2× $40.08 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $20.04 | $30.06 | $40.08 | $0.00 | $20.04 |
| Plasterers & cement masonsNon-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateCEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHEROvertime 1.5× $29.40 · Double time 2× $39.20 · Benefits /hr $0.00 | $19.60 | $29.40 | $39.20 | $0.00 | $19.60 |
| Teamsters (drivers)Non-union survey rate · effective Jul 21, 2014 · old rateTRUCK DRIVER: DUMP TRUCKOvertime 1.5× $18.59 · Double time 2× $24.78 · Benefits /hr $1.18 | $12.39 | $18.59 | $24.78 | $1.18 | $13.57 |
- Wage:
- the hourly pay in the worker's paycheck, before taxes, at straight time.
- Overtime and double time:
- the wage × 1.5 and × 2. Federal contracts require time and a half after 40 hours a week; when double time applies (for example Sundays, holidays or after 10–12 hours) is set by each union contract.
- Benefits:
- paid by the employer on top of the wage into the worker's health insurance, pension and annuity, and apprenticeship training funds (sometimes vacation and holiday pay). Not in the paycheck.
- Total comp:
- wage + benefits for one straight-time hour.
Journeyman rates only; shift premiums and per diem are not included. Source: Davis-Bacon general wage determinations on SAM.gov.
Apprentices: rates above are for journeymen. Apprentices are usually paid a percentage of the journeyman rate, typically starting around 40–60% and rising about 10 percentage points every 6 months to a year until they reach the full rate. Exact steps vary by trade and local.
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination TX20260237 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
Per diem reported
Typical per diem reported · Amarillo area
$123–$176 /day
Range $40–$178 · 4 reports
Per diem is a daily allowance for meals and lodging. It is usually paid only to travelers, often those who live 50+ miles from the job, and it varies by contractor. These are amounts reported in job posts, union job boards and worker posts for this area: they are not guaranteed. "Typical" is the middle half of the reports.
| Job | Per day |
|---|---|
| Journeyman electricianUnion job board · Sep 3, 2025 · View post (opens in a new tab) | $40 |
| Licensed journeyman electricianJob listing · Talent Corps · RoadDogJobs · Apr 22, 2026 · View post (opens in a new tab) | $178 |
| TDLR licensed journeyman electricianJob listing · Facebook (group: Master, Journeyman and Aprentice Electricians) · Apr 20, 2026 | $175 |
| Not stated (reply in pipefitter thread)Worker report · Facebook (group: Per Diem Only Fans) · Oct 9, 2026 | $150 |
Weekly amounts are divided by 7 and monthly amounts by 30. Not counted: shift-completion bonuses ("incentives"), per diem built into the hourly wage, jobs with lodging provided, and office or safety roles. Posts on personal social media profiles are counted but not linked.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these public sources:
- KFDA NewsChannel 10 (opens in a new tab)newschannel10.com · News
- Blackridge Research (opens in a new tab)blackridgeresearch.com · Other
- IBEW inside jurisdiction map (TX) (opens in a new tab)ibew.org · Other
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination TX20260237 (SAM.gov) (opens in a new tab)sam.gov · Government filing
- Converge Digest (opens in a new tab)convergedigest.com · News
- BriefGlance (opens in a new tab)briefglance.com · Other
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