Virginia, Texas & Georgia Lead the Nation In Planned Data Center Development

Virginia, Texas and Georgia are emerging as the leading states for planned data center development as demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services continues to grow. According to the Pew Research Center, Virginia has 287 planned data centers, followed by Texas with 170 and Georgia with 141. Illinois and Arizona round out the top five, with 123 and 86 planned facilities, respectively.

The boom is bringing billions of dollars in investment and construction activity, along with jobs and new tax revenue for some communities. However, data centers require enormous amounts of electricity and, depending on their cooling systems, significant amounts of water. About 67% of planned U.S. data centers are expected to be located in rural areas, raising concerns about their impact on land, infrastructure, noise and nearby communities.

The rapid expansion is also putting pressure on power grids. The U.S. is expected to set new electricity-consumption records in 2026 and 2027, with the growth of AI and data centers among the major drivers.