Basics
Data Center Energy Usage and Grid Stress
Data Center Energy Usage is rising fast, forcing grid operators to revisit load forecasts, interconnection rules, and cost allocation.
Dominic Thorpe
November 10, 2026
| Metric | Current Value |
|---|---|
| Total Active IT Power Capacity | 39.0 GW |
| AI Cloud & Data Centers Operating | 5,411 Facilities |
| Coming Online (Next 90 Days) | 84 Facilities |
| Under Construction | 412 Facilities |
Data Center Energy Usage is rising fast, forcing grid operators to revisit load forecasts, interconnection rules, and cost allocation.
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| Rank | Company | Completed / Operating | Under Construction | Total Capacity (GW)* | 2026 CapEx* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon Web Services (AWS) | ~125+ Availability Zones | Multi-GW pipeline ($10B NC campus) | 18.0+ | $200B |
| 2 | Alphabet (Google Cloud) | 40+ Cloud Regions | 6 GW AI Growth Zone (UK) | 15.0+ | $185B |
| 3 | Microsoft (Azure) | 300+ physical data centers | Record multi-GW buildout | 17.0+ | $140B |
| 4 | Meta Platforms | ~25+ hyperscale campuses | 1.5 GW Louisiana site | 6.5+ | $135B |
| 5 | Oracle | 65+ Cloud Regions | "Stargate" Project (up to 7 GW) | 8.0+ | $50B |
| 6 | Aligned Data Centers | ~50 campuses | Ultra-high-density AI expansion | 5.0 | Private |
| 7 | Vantage Data Centers | 30+ campuses | 1.4 GW "Frontier" campus (TX) | 2.6+ | Private |
| 8 | Equinix | 260+ data centers | 250 MW xScale campus (UK) | 6.0 | $4.5B |
| 9 | Digital Realty | 300+ facilities | Heavy EMEA and US expansion | 3.8 | $4.0B |
| 10 | NTT Global Data Centers | 130+ data centers | Aggressive global expansion | 2.5 | $10B |
Data Center Energy demand is reshaping U.S. grid planning, with server load growth raising questions about cost, reliability, and timing.
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| Rank | State | Estimated Total Capacity (GW) | Operational Facilities | Under Construction | Company with Largest Presence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 11.1 GW | 317 | 135 | Amazon Web Services (AWS) |
| 2 | Texas | 10.9 GW | 205 | 137 | Meta / AWS |
| 3 | Arizona | 5.3 GW | 82 | 35 | Microsoft (Azure) |
| 4 | California | 4.5 GW | 166 | 6 | Equinix |
| 5 | Georgia | 3.1 GW | 64 | 49 | Microsoft (Azure) |
| 6 | Illinois | 2.8 GW | 77 | 19 | Digital Realty |
| 7 | Ohio | 2.4 GW | 100 | 45 | Amazon Web Services (AWS) |
| 8 | Oregon | 1.8 GW | 97 | 12 | Amazon Web Services (AWS) |
| 9 | Washington | 1.4 GW | 71 | 3 | Microsoft (Azure) |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 1.1 GW | 37 | 11 | Amazon Web |
| 11 | Iowa | 1.0 GW | 56 | 17 | Google Cloud Services (AWS) |
| 12 | New Jersey | 0.9 GW | 49 | 2 | Equinix |
| 13 | North Carolina | 0.8 GW | 41 | 11 | Apple |
| 14 | Florida | 0.6 GW | 53 | 2 | DataBank |
| 15 | New York | 0.5 GW | 47 | 3 | Digital Realty |
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The 10-Gigawatt Club: Only two states currently belong to this elite tier. While Virginia has reigned supreme for over a decade as the backbone of the internet, Texas is rapidly closing the gap. Fuelled by an independent grid and massive 1+ GW single-site campuses being built in the desert (like the Stargate initiative phases), Texas is on pace to eclipse Virginia entirely by the end of the decade.
The Rise of Arizona: Phoenix has officially bypassed Silicon Valley to become the third most powerful data center market in the US. Driven by massive investments from Microsoft and EdgeCore, Arizona’s capacity is projected to skyrocket as hyperscalers trade California’s strict regulations and high power costs for the desert’s stable, disaster-free environment.
The Nuclear Pivot in Pennsylvania: Notice Pennsylvania jumping into the top 10 despite having fewer total facilities than New Jersey or Florida. This is driven entirely by AWS’s massive acquisition and expansion of the Cumulus data center campus, which is directly powered by the 2.5 GW Susquehanna nuclear power plant.
The “Legacy” States: States like California, New Jersey, and New York still boast a high number of facilities, but their total GW output is stagnating. These are largely older, smaller colocation centers running at 10-20 MW, which pale in comparison to the 200-500 MW AI campuses currently being built in Ohio, Georgia, and Iowa.
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Total Active IT Power Capacity refers to the amount of IT power currently deployed and supporting live AI, cloud, and enterprise workloads across operational facilities. As of the latest update, this figure stands at 39.0 GW.
There are currently 5,411 AI cloud and data center facilities operating across the United States. These facilities support hyperscale, enterprise cloud, and high-performance computing workloads.
This metric reflects 84 facilities scheduled to become operational within the next 90 days. It provides visibility into near-term expansion and immediate infrastructure growth.
There are 412 facilities currently under construction, representing confirmed development projects that will contribute to future IT power capacity.
Total Imminent Capacity represents IT power expected to be activated in the near term. This currently totals 1.2 GW of additional capacity nearing operational deployment.
Total Pipeline Capacity reflects the projected capacity across all planned and future development projects. The current pipeline stands at 35.0 GW, including facilities in planning, permitting, and early-stage development.
All infrastructure metrics are regularly updated to reflect the most current operational, construction, and development status available from verified sources.
