Core Scientific Buys Polaris Mine for $421M to Scale Oklahoma AI Campus to 1.5 GW

Core Scientific is acquiring adjacent Polaris DS bitcoin-mining site for $421 million (potentially $461 million) adding 440 MW contracted power, 40 acres, and a substation to accelerate Muskogee, Oklahoma campus expansion to ~1.5 GW gross (~1 GW leasable) for AI/HPC. Announced May 6 with an 82.5 MW facility under construction for Q4 2027 delivery, the deal—backed by $120M escrow—targets Q3 2026 close using existing liquidity amid shares' 11% jump to ~$25. The pivot validates mining infrastructure for booming AI data centers, forecasted to grow from $147B in 2025 to $810B by 2033 at 24% CAGR.