US crypto and data center developer Digital Power Optimization (DPO) has secured land and power supply to develop a 20MW high-performance computing facility in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.

The data center will cost an estimated $200 million. DPO has partnered with regulated utility Consolidated Water Power Company (CWPCo) on the project. CWPCo is a subsidiary of Billerud, a Swedish pulp and paper manufacturer, and operates 32MW of hydroelectric power assets across its electrical distribution network.

As part of the partnership, DPO has secured a land lease for up to fifty years, interconnection rights to an existing and energized substation, and access to a firm power supply.

The project is expected to be energized in 2026.

“Speed-to-energization is critical in today's market, and by forming relationships with forward-thinking power partners like CWPCo, and designing to what is immediately actionable, facilities like this can be brought online several years ahead of hyperscale projects," said Andrew Webber, DPO's CEO.

DPO is in talks with the City of Wisconsin Rapids and other state agencies to finalize construction plans and building permits before groundbreaking and vertical construction.

The company has engaged Stantec to provide consulting and engineering support on the project.

An investor consortium led by Salutem Capital, a privately held New York family office, funded the project's pre-development phase.

Formed in 2020, DPO places data centers – often cryptomining facilities – behind-the-meter at renewable energy sites to utilize any spare capacity and can turn down its facilities during times of high demand.

In April, the firm partnered with Schneider Electric to design, construct, and deploy ‘modular AI data centers’ behind-the-meter at multiple Texas wind farms.

In early 2022, the company closed a $2.5 million Series A funding round led by Bitcoin company NYDIG.