New Era Energy & Digital Names Ted Warner CFO, Ties Compensation to Hyperscaler Deals

Event summary

  • Ted Warner appointed CFO of New Era Energy & Digital effective March 16, 2026, bringing 20 years of energy and digital infrastructure capital markets experience.
  • Warner previously led Northland Capital Markets’ Energy, Power and Digital Infrastructure practice, structuring $7B+ in data center financing.
  • CFO compensation includes 1.8M performance-vesting stock units tied to hyperscaler deals, project milestones, and financing targets.
  • Key performance metrics include securing a 200MW hyperscaler lease and a material credit facility by June 30, 2026.

The big picture

New Era's CFO hire underscores the capital-intensive nature of hyperscale data center development, particularly in energy-rich regions like the Permian Basin. Warner's track record in structuring flexible financing solutions for early-stage digital infrastructure platforms addresses a critical need as New Era scales its 438-acre Texas Critical Data Centers campus. The performance-based compensation structure ties executive incentives directly to commercial milestones, reflecting the high-stakes nature of securing hyperscaler tenants and project financing.

What we're watching

Hyperscaler Partnerships
Whether New Era can secure a 200MW hyperscaler lease by performance deadline, validating its Texas Critical Data Centers platform.
Capital Markets Execution
The pace at which Warner delivers a material credit facility, critical for scaling the 1GW+ data center campus.
Compensation Alignment
How Warner's performance-based equity structure influences strategic decision-making and stakeholder confidence.