Access to Power and Infrastructure Redraw Map for Data Center Development
As data center development across the Americas reaches a record 37.7 gigawatts under construction, access to power and infrastructure is playing an increasing role in determining where that growth can occur, Cushman & Wakefield reported. The shift is creating new opportunities far beyond the traditional data center hubs.
“Everyone knows the demand is insatiable. The challenge today is finding the power and infrastructure to accommodate that development,” said John McWilliams, head of data center insights at Cushman & Wakefield. “Power availability, grid infrastructure and regulatory certainty are becoming defining competitive advantages for markets across the Americas. That is beginning to redraw the data center development map.”
Established markets including Northern Virginia, Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas continue to attract significant investment because of their connectivity, customer concentration and mature infrastructure ecosystems. Simultaneously, though, emerging markets including West Texas, Pennsylvania, Alberta and Cheyenne are attracting some of the region’s largest proposed developments.
