Microsoft가 텍사스에 있는 Nscale과의 컴퓨팅 계약 확장 옵션을 거절했다. 이 옵션은 Nscale이 소유한 부지에서 운영 중인 Ionic Digital 데이터센터에 인접한 용량을 제공하는 내용이었다.

Microsoft has declined to double its compute capacity agreement with Nscale in Texas, according to reporting from the Financial Times.

The FT reports that Microsoft has decided not to expand its lease agreement with Nscale in the Lone Star State. The expansion would have been worth tens of billions of dollars in future revenue for Nscale.

In October 2025, Microsoft signed a contract with Nscale to lease approximately 230MW of Nvidia infrastructure at Nscale's data center in Barstow, Texas. Nscale leases the site from Ionic Digital. The capacity has been executed, and Microsoft is operating from the site, according to a LinkedIn post from Nscale CEO Josh Payne. Payne said the company took the Ionic site from a steel shell to an operational AI data center in just nine months.

Microsoft previously had reported options for an additional 700MW at the site. The FT reports that the figure was closer to 500MW and was for capacity at an Nscale-owned site in Ward County, separate from the Ionic Digital campus.

A person familiar with the matter later told DCD that these discussions took place several months ago and therefore had no impact on Nscale's total backlog, which is worth $103bn. Microsoft still accounts for around 40 percent of that backlog.

The source told DCD that the Ionic Digital site planned to add a further 466MW, bringing its total capacity to close to 700MW. Ionic does not yet have permission to bring this power to the site. Nscale therefore offered Microsoft capacity at its self-owned data center on land adjacent to the Ionic Digital campus, which has behind-the-meter power. Microsoft declined to take up that capacity.

Nscale has since signed a $3.5bn agreement with humanoid robotics company Figure to deploy 100,000 Nvidia Vera Rubin GPUs at its self-owned data center in Barstow. Other undisclosed deals have been signed with other companies at the location. Sources said the neocloud is in talks with several other potential customers for the remaining capacity, including hyperscalers.

If the Ionic Digital campus secures its power connection agreement, Nscale retains the right of first refusal on that capacity, as it is the customer.

Microsoft and Nscale still have a large partnership globally, including in the US, Norway, and wider Europe. Last month, however, Microsoft pulled out of Nscale's Loughton data center project in the UK due to grid connection delays. Nscale is still pursuing the project.

Nscale is reportedly in talks for a second $45bn agreement with AI lab Anthropic. Nvidia is reportedly serving as a financial backstop for the first deployment.

Nscale is also in the process of launching an initial public offering, targeting a valuation of up to $35bn. Its IPO prospectus, published in September, notes that Nscale has five active data centers offering a combined 55MW, with 12 more in various stages of development. Much of the company's current value comes from large capacity commitments with existing investment-grade customers, reflecting the capital-intensive nature of data center buildout and the fact that many projects remain ongoing.

Texas is already facing a data center moratorium. Following this week's US midterm elections, newly elected Texas governor Gina Hinojosa called for a longer moratorium in the state, followed by tighter regulation. Hinojosa campaigned against data center projects in the lead-up to the election.