Bernard Looney, former CEO of BP, one of the world’s leading energy companies, announced on Sunday that he will take on the role of chairman at a U.S.-based data center start-up. This decision aligns with the surging demand for electricity driven by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence.

The start-up, Prometheus Hyperscale, plans to develop a $10 billion data center on a 640-acre property in Evanston, Wyoming. The site is part of the family ranch of the company’s founder and CEO, Trenton Thornock. According to Looney, the goal is to attract major players like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, whose need for computational power is growing exponentially.

Prometheus aims to expand its operations both domestically and internationally, Looney revealed. “I’ll be assisting with customer engagement, investor relations, and overall strategy,” he stated during an interview.

Looney, 54, stepped down from BP last year after admitting to not fully disclosing personal relationships with colleagues.

While the oil and gas sector may initially seem unrelated to the A.I. industry, the two have increasingly found common ground. The energy demands of A.I. systems, which rely on massive computer networks, are surging rapidly. Major data service providers, or hyperscalers, are becoming key energy consumers, making them vital to companies like BP.

“Hyperscalers are poised to become some of the largest energy customers in the future,” said Murray Auchincloss, BP’s current CEO, during a recent analyst meeting.

Looney’s background in managing large-scale, multibillion-dollar energy projects, coupled with his connections to global investors like those in the Persian Gulf, could prove valuable in his new position. During his tenure as BP’s CEO, Looney restructured the company’s leadership and committed to reducing oil and gas production while investing heavily in renewable energy. Although some of these plans have since been scaled back due to investor preferences for oil and gas profits, the commitment to clean energy remains appealing to companies like Google.

“He is extremely well-connected and has significant credibility in both sustainability and the energy sector,” Thornock commented.

Looney expressed a desire to help Prometheus Hyperscale address environmental challenges associated with A.I., particularly the rising electricity consumption that could drive higher emissions. “This is an issue we must tackle,” he said.

The planned data center in Wyoming will initially rely on wind and natural gas for power. There is also potential to integrate nuclear energy in partnership with Oklo, a start-up led by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT. Additionally, Prometheus plans to employ a proprietary liquid cooling system to significantly reduce energy usage.