Data center site selection: compare planned power by state
FieldProspects helps data center teams compare where power is planned with where data centers are going. The database holds 3,626 data centers that are not canceled, with 453.5 GW of stated capacity, beside 8,057 planned power projects totaling 1,547.4 GW, broken out by state.
Data as of
Siting is a power question now, and planned generation is unevenly spread. Texas leads every state on planned generation with 555.1 GW and on stated data center capacity with 105.3 GW.
The steps below compare the two measures by state, show how far the data center pipeline has moved, and look at the grid operators behind the states.
What is data center site selection?
Data center site selection is the process of choosing where to build a data center, weighing power supply, land, network access and cost. This page covers the power side: where generation is planned and how much capacity data centers state.
Step 1: Put planned generation beside data center demand
The table shows the 10 states that lead on either measure. Planned per DC MW divides planned generation by the capacity data centers state. Data centers counts every record that is not canceled. Utah is lowest at 0.12 and California highest at 48.26.
Use the ratio to choose where to look first, not as a measure of spare capacity. Planned capacity is nameplate, not delivered supply, and 496 of the 3,626 data centers state no capacity, so the demand side is understated.
| State | Planned capacity | Data centers | Data center MW, stated | Planned per DC MW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 555.1 GW | 535 | 105.3 GW | 5.27 |
| California | 146.1 GW | 85 | 3 GW | 48.26 |
| Illinois | 97.2 GW | 112 | 11.3 GW | 8.63 |
| Virginia | 63 GW | 853 | 58.5 GW | 1.08 |
| Indiana | 59.2 GW | 155 | 16.9 GW | 3.50 |
| Michigan | 45.9 GW | 18 | 2.9 GW | 15.60 |
| Ohio | 41.5 GW | 246 | 29.2 GW | 1.42 |
| Pennsylvania | 33.7 GW | 150 | 18.5 GW | 1.82 |
| Georgia | 6.9 GW | 180 | 19.4 GW | 0.35 |
| Utah | 3.8 GW | 69 | 32.8 GW | 0.12 |
Step 2: See how far the data center pipeline has moved
Of 3,626 data centers that are not canceled, 1,807 are planned, 477 are under construction and 1,319 are operating. The 45 canceled records are left out of every figure on this page.
Filter the Data centers table by status and state to separate what is under construction from what is only planned. Each row carries load, acreage, footprint and capex where the source states them.
| Status | Data centers | Stating a capacity | Stated capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planned | 1,807 | 1,402 | 344.4 GW |
| Under Construction | 477 | 464 | 47 GW |
| Operating | 1,319 | 1,264 | 62.2 GW |
| Status not stated | 23 | 0 | None |
Step 3: Check the grid behind the state
Generation queues are run by grid operators, not states. ERCOT holds 532.2 GW of planned capacity, MISO holds 301.4 GW and PJM holds 260.3 GW. A state that looks short on planned generation may sit inside a grid with a deep queue, so filter the Planned table by balancing authority as well as by state.
Step 4: Map it, with the gaps in mind
Map mode shows projects and data centers together, colored by technology or status, under the same filters as the table. Coordinates are on file for 28.9% of planned projects, so the map shows a subset of the queue.
A grid is on file for 99.9% of planned projects, so state and grid filters reach nearly all of them. CSV or Excel export returns exactly the list you filtered.
Go deeper
- Planned generation by state Project counts, planned counts and total capacity for each state and D.C.
- Grid operators Project counts, planned counts and total capacity for each grid operator and balancing authority.
- ERCOT Planned and operating projects on the ERCOT grid, by technology, state and in-service year.
- PJM Planned and operating projects on the PJM grid, by technology, state and in-service year.
- Data centers Planned and operating data centers with the power they draw, where it is known.
- Who is building data centers Data center developers ranked by number of projects and known capacity.
Source. Power projects: U.S. Energy Information Administration Form EIA-860M and ISO/RTO interconnection queues, compiled by FieldProspects. Data centers: Public announcements, permits and company filings, compiled by FieldProspects.
Related pages
- Who it is for How developers, data center teams, lenders and sales teams use the database.
- Energy sales teams Find the projects and the decision makers at the companies building them.
- Investors and lenders Screen the pipeline by technology, grid and sponsor before you underwrite it.
- Developers and IPPs Track competing pipelines and the queues you are entering, with the people at each company.
- Developers The companies behind power projects, with attributed project counts and benchmark figures.
- CAISO Planned and operating projects on the CAISO grid, by technology, state and in-service year.
- Battery storage Planned and operating battery storage in the database, by state, grid and in-service year.
- Largest solar developers Solar developers ranked by attributed project count and capacity, with how much of the market is attributed.
- FieldProspects vs Cleanview A dated comparison of what each product costs and includes, using only public information.
- About What FieldProspects is, what is in the database, and where the data comes from.