US data center plans surge as AI demand grows, but many are uncertain

In short: The US has a massive wave of planned data centers for AI, but “planned” does not mean they will all get built soon.

What's going on

Data centers are large buildings filled with computers that run online services and AI (think of them like power plants, but for computing). A new look at US projects shows that developers are proposing far more of these facilities than in the past, and many are much larger.

Energy research firm Wood Mackenzie said the disclosed US data center “pipeline” reached 331 gigawatts in its second-quarter 2026 analysis. A pipeline is a list of projects that have been announced or discussed, not a list of buildings already operating. Wood Mackenzie estimated about 40% of that pipeline was in active development, and Texas led with nearly 100 gigawatts of planned capacity, with Ohio in second place.

Projects are also getting bigger. Instead of a typical site, many AI-focused facilities are being designed for hundreds of megawatts, and some proposed campuses are measured in gigawatts. Examples cited include a Texas campus aiming for as much as 17 gigawatts and an Ohio project targeting up to 10 gigawatts, but these are plans, not completed sites.

What to watch

Electricity is the main bottleneck. Goldman Sachs Research projected US data center power demand could rise from 31 gigawatts in 2025 to 66 gigawatts in 2027, but that depends on getting permits, connecting to the grid (the shared electricity network), buying equipment, and securing financing. One industry estimate suggested about 16 gigawatts could be scheduled for 2026, yet only around 5 gigawatts was under construction at the time, which shows how announcements can run ahead of reality.

Source: NYTimes