The record · By the numbers
By the numbers
1,017 data center sites, 1,661 buildings where disclosed. Every figure on this page is computed from the published records when the site is built. Where a record disclosed nothing, it adds nothing and is counted as not disclosed. Nothing here is estimated.
Counted on
Our count
1,661 buildings where disclosed
Disclosed buildings on those sites, from assessor parcels, permits, and operator pages; the site is the record unit, not the building
7,074 events
Dated, sourced events on the record: status changes and jurisdiction actions
- reported
- 71
- proposed
- 117
- waiting on permits
- 32
- approved
- 41
- being built
- 67
- running
- 668
- stalled
- 1
- cancelled
- 20
- All records
- 1,017
- Not yet verified, apart from the count
- 58
Projects on the record at the end of each year
| Year | On the record | Running | Being built | Proposed, waiting on permits or approved | Stalled or cancelled | Stage dated by what happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2011 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2012 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2013 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 2014 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 2015 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 2016 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| 2017 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| 2018 | 15 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| 2019 | 19 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| 2020 | 22 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| 2021 | 28 | 21 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 17 |
| 2022 | 40 | 26 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
| 2023 | 49 | 32 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 24 |
| 2024 | 72 | 41 | 11 | 20 | 0 | 38 |
| 2025 | 111 | 47 | 18 | 44 | 2 | 71 |
| 2026 | 1017 | 668 | 67 | 261 | 21 | 164 |
How the count is made
288 depth records (full timeline, every fact sourced, reviewed) and 729 built from one source each (not yet reviewed, and labeled as such). 8 regions have a record reviewed in depth, 43 only records built from one source. The count is the published records counted by their status, read from the record's own data at build time and never typed in. The count will read low until coverage is complete; a small number with a stated scope beats a large one with none. A site is the record unit: 1,661 named buildings sit on the 1,017 sites above, from operators' own pages, and are never counted as separate records; an industry directory that counts buildings will read higher for that reason, not because it tracks more sites (how buildings are counted). How records are counted.
What has been disclosed in the published record
| Figure | Disclosed total | Disclosed | Without a figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 71.92 GW | 448 | 569 | 443 the developer's figure, 5 third party estimate |
| Water, stated per day | 8,379,321 gallons a day | 10 | 999 | 10 the developer's figure |
| Water, stated per year | 645,091,276 gallons a year | 8 | 999 | 7 measured, 1 the developer's figure |
| Permanent jobs | 5,850 jobs | 2 | 1,015 | 2 the developer's figure |
| Tax each year | $40,000,000 to $44,000,000 | 1 | 1,016 | 1 the developer's figure |
A blank total means no record disclosed the figure; the count without one says how many.
Summed only where a record disclosed the figure; a record with no figure adds nothing and is counted as not disclosed. Water is summed per day and per year separately, as the sources stated it, and never converted. A tax claim given as a range is summed at both ends.
By what the facilities are for
| Use | Records | Power | Water | Jobs | Tax each year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI, type not stated | 3 | 7.83 GW | 1,528,767 gallons a day; 250,000 gallons a year | 4,850 jobs | $40,000,000 to $44,000,000 |
| Cloud | 1 | 7.5 GW | 1,528,767 gallons a day | 4,850 jobs | |
| Government and defense | 1 | 7.5 GW | 1,528,767 gallons a day | 4,850 jobs | |
| No stated use | 1,014 | 64.08 GW | 6,850,554 gallons a day; 644,841,276 gallons a year | 1,000 jobs |
A blank cell means no record with that use disclosed the figure.
A record that lists several uses counts once under each; 1 does here. Each cell is the sum over the records with that use, disclosed rows only. The power column adds up to 86.92 GW across the uses, more than the 71.92 GW disclosed in all, because a record with several uses is in each of its rows.
What the facilities are for
| Use | Facilities | Share of facilities | Attributed MW | Share of attributed MW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI, type not stated | 3 | 0% | 334 MW | 0% |
| Cloud | 1 | 0% | ||
| Government and defense | 1 | 0% | ||
| No stated use | 1014 | 100% | 64.1 GW | 89% |
| Not split between uses | 1 | 7.5 GW | 10% | |
| No capacity figure | 569 | 56% |
A blank cell means no source attributes power to that use.
How the facilities are cooled
| Method | Facilities | Share of facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Air cooled | 3 | 0% |
| Evaporative | 1 | 0% |
| Closed loop liquid | 21 | 2% |
| No stated cooling type | 992 | 98% |
Who counts data centers
| Who counted | Their count | What it counts | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Center Record | 1,017 | Published project records, every one with a named site and a dated source, counted by a query on the public table as of October 30, 2026 | United States, every stage, records reviewed in depth and records built from one source; a site not yet verified is listed apart and not counted. Download and count it yourself |
| Statista, Number of data centers worldwide by country (April 2026) (opens in a new tab) | 4,423 facilities | data centers in the United States, 2026 | Facilities counted by Statista for the United States; the counting rule and the underlying list are not published. As of April 14, 2026. |
| Aterio, US Data Center Database (September 2026) (opens in a new tab) | 6,986 facilities | data centers in the active US pipeline, 2026 | Facilities Aterio tracks as operational (2,084), under construction (814) or announced (4,088); its full database also lists facilities outside the active pipeline. As of September 3, 2026. The page is updated continuously and read 6,984 (2,086 operational, 816 under construction, 4,082 announced) of 7,861 facilities on September 5, 2026. |
| Cleanview, US Data Center Map (September 2026) (opens in a new tab) | 3,436 facilities | data centers in the United States, operating plus planned, 2026 | Operating facilities plus planned projects on Cleanview's US data center tracker: 1,306 operating and 2,082 planned. As quoted September 4, 2026; the tracker is updated monthly and read 3,445 (1,306 operating, 2,091 planned) later the same day. |
Comparisons
Every plain comparison on the site is arithmetic on a published figure and one of these units, of the same kind: capacity against peak demand, energy over time against energy over time, water against water in the same scope, or against the EPA's household yardsticks with the difference said (the rule). Another group's forecast is shown here in the same yardstick and is never counted.
| Unit | Value | Year | Source and page |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City (NYISO Zone J) annual electricity use, actual, 2024 | 49,703 GWh | 2024 | NYISO, 2025 Load and Capacity Data Report (Gold Book) (opens in a new tab), Table I-2, Baseline Annual Energy, Historical and Forecast, page 23, Zone J, 2024 row |
| Water used at home each day by the average American family, more than | 300 gallons a day | EPA WaterSense, How We Use Water (opens in a new tab), the page's opening paragraph (page last updated August 4, 2026) | |
| Average monthly electricity consumption per residential customer, United States | 863 kWh | 2024 | EIA, Table 5A, 2024 edition (opens in a new tab), Table 5A, Residential Average Monthly Bill by Census Division and State, 2024 edition, U.S. Total row (page 2 of 2) |
| New York City (NYISO Zone J) summer peak demand, actual, 2024 | 10,245 MW | 2024 | NYISO, 2025 Load and Capacity Data Report (Gold Book) (opens in a new tab), Table I-4a, Baseline Summer Non-Coincident Peak Demand, Historical and Forecast, page 26, Zone J, 2024 row |
| Water used at home each day per person, United States | 82 gallons a day per person | 2015 | EPA WaterSense, Statistics and Facts (opens in a new tab), Statistics and Facts, the first bullet under Water Use (page last updated March 11, 2026) |
| Average monthly electricity consumption per residential customer, United States, 2023 | 855 kWh | 2023 | EIA, Table 5A, 2023 edition (opens in a new tab), Table 5A, Residential Average Monthly Bill by Census Division and State, 2023 edition, U.S. Total row (page 2 of 2), read from the Internet Archive's capture of EIA's own PDF of May 24, 2025 |
US data center water in 2023
In 2023, US data centers consumed 66 billion liters of water on site, according to a 2024 report to Congress by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, about 17.4 billion gallons, or 47.8 million gallons a day. Each day that comes to about what 583,000 people use at home, at the EPA's 82 gallons a person a day (a figure for 2015), and what at most 159,000 American families use at home, at the EPA's more than 300 gallons a family a day (the EPA gives no year for it). The two count different water: the data center figure is water consumed, the part evaporated or otherwise taken out of the local water supply, and the EPA's is water used at home, which the EPA does not split into water consumed and water returned.
The arithmetic
Math
Liters to gallons
- 66 billion liters a year = 66,000,000,000 liters a year.
- 66,000,000,000 liters ÷ 3.785411784 liters a gallon = 17,435,355,456 gallons a year.
- 17,435,355,456 gallons a year ÷ 365 days = 47,768,097 gallons a day.
- Direct water consumed on site by US data centers in 2023: 66 billion liters a year (2023).
- 66 billion liters = 66,000,000,000 liters; 66,000,000,000 liters ÷ 3.785411784 liters a gallon = 17,435,355,456 gallons; 17,435,355,456 gallons a year ÷ 365 = 47,768,097 gallons a day.
- Water used at home each day per person, United States: 82 gallons a day per person (2015).
- 47,768,097.14 ÷ 82 = 582,537.77 (gallons a day over gallons a day).
Sources:
- LBNL, 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report (opens in a new tab), Section 5, Water and Emission Impacts, Direct Water Consumption, page 55, and Figure 5.9, page 56 (2023)
- EPA WaterSense, Statistics and Facts (opens in a new tab), Statistics and Facts, the first bullet under Water Use (page last updated March 11, 2026) (2015)
The two rows are from different years: the figure is for 2023 and the unit for 2015.
The two count different water: the data center figure is water consumed, the part evaporated or otherwise taken out of the local water supply, and the EPA's is water used at home, which the EPA does not split into water consumed and water returned.
A comparison is arithmetic on two published rows and is never a new fact (how comparisons are made).
- Direct water consumed on site by US data centers in 2023: 66 billion liters a year (2023).
- 66 billion liters = 66,000,000,000 liters; 66,000,000,000 liters ÷ 3.785411784 liters a gallon = 17,435,355,456 gallons; 17,435,355,456 gallons a year ÷ 365 = 47,768,097 gallons a day.
- Water used at home each day by the average American family, more than: 300 gallons a day.
- 47,768,097.14 ÷ 300 = 159,226.99 (gallons a day over gallons a day).
Sources:
- LBNL, 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report (opens in a new tab), Section 5, Water and Emission Impacts, Direct Water Consumption, page 55, and Figure 5.9, page 56 (2023)
- EPA WaterSense, How We Use Water (opens in a new tab), the page's opening paragraph (page last updated August 4, 2026)
The figure is for 2023; the unit's source gives no year for it.
The two count different water: the data center figure is water consumed, the part evaporated or otherwise taken out of the local water supply, and the EPA's is water used at home, which the EPA does not split into water consumed and water returned.
A comparison is arithmetic on two published rows and is never a new fact (how comparisons are made).
What others project
These are other groups' forecasts, not the record's figures.
| Who and when | Figure | What it measures | In the record's yardstick | About the maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| arkansasonline.com (opens in a new tab), September 2026 | 65,000,000,000 USD | USD | No yardstick of this kind | |
| LBNL for DOE, 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report (opens in a new tab), December 2024 | 6.7 to 12 percent | percent of US electricity consumption | No yardstick of this kind | A projection, never a count. |
| LBNL for DOE, 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report (opens in a new tab), December 2024 | 325 to 580 TWh | annual energy | About 6.5 to 12 times the electricity New York City used in 2024 | Federal laboratory for the Department of Energy; the report was requested by Congress in the Energy Act of 2020. A projection, never a count. |
| Bloom Energy, 2025 Data Center Power Report (opens in a new tab), January 2025 | 35 GW | capacity | About 3.4 times New York City's summer peak demand in 2024 | Survey of about 100 data center leaders (data collected April to November 2024) by a company that sells onsite power; the release compares the 35 GW to over six times the average energy capacity New York City uses annually, a comparison of capacity to energy the record does not make. |
| Rystad Energy, Data centers reshape US power sector (opens in a new tab), February 2025 | 100 GW | capacity | About 9.8 times New York City's summer peak demand in 2024 | Over 100 GW; a consultancy's count of announcements, not of built capacity. |
| Rystad Energy, Data centers reshape US power sector (opens in a new tab), February 2025 | 395 to 660 TWh | annual energy | About 7.9 to 13 times the electricity New York City used in 2024 | A consultancy's projection. |
The arithmetic
LBNL for DOE, 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report: 325 to 580 TWh
Math
- Electricity use projected for US data centers in 2028: 325 to 580 TWh a year (2028).
- 325 TWh = 325,000,000,000 kWh; high end 580 TWh = 580,000,000,000 kWh.
- New York City (NYISO Zone J) annual electricity use, actual, 2024: 49,703 GWh a year (2024).
- 49,703 GWh = 49,703,000,000 kWh.
- 325,000,000,000 ÷ 49,703,000,000 = 6.54; high end 580,000,000,000 ÷ 49,703,000,000 = 11.67 (kWh a year over kWh a year).
Sources:
- LBNL for DOE, 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report (opens in a new tab), Executive Summary, page 6 (2028)
- NYISO, 2025 Load and Capacity Data Report (Gold Book) (opens in a new tab), Table I-2, Baseline Annual Energy, Historical and Forecast, page 23, Zone J, 2024 row (2024)
The two rows are from different years: the figure is for 2028 and the unit for 2024.
A comparison is arithmetic on two published rows and is never a new fact (how comparisons are made).
Bloom Energy, 2025 Data Center Power Report: 35 GW
Math
- US data center capacity Bloom Energy expects to be announced within five years of January 2025: 35 GW (2030).
- 35 GW × 1,000 = 35,000 MW.
- New York City (NYISO Zone J) summer peak demand, actual, 2024: 10,245 MW (2024).
- 35,000 ÷ 10,245 = 3.42 (MW over MW).
Sources:
- Bloom Energy, 2025 Data Center Power Report (opens in a new tab), The release of January 21, 2025, first paragraph (2030)
- NYISO, 2025 Load and Capacity Data Report (Gold Book) (opens in a new tab), Table I-4a, Baseline Summer Non-Coincident Peak Demand, Historical and Forecast, page 26, Zone J, 2024 row (2024)
The two rows are from different years: the figure is for 2030 and the unit for 2024.
A comparison is arithmetic on two published rows and is never a new fact (how comparisons are made).
Rystad Energy, Data centers reshape US power sector: 100 GW
Math
- US data center land acquisition and construction announcements with commercial operation dates from 2024 to 2035, over: 100 GW (2035).
- 100 GW × 1,000 = 100,000 MW.
- New York City (NYISO Zone J) summer peak demand, actual, 2024: 10,245 MW (2024).
- 100,000 ÷ 10,245 = 9.76 (MW over MW).
Sources:
- Rystad Energy, Data centers reshape US power sector (opens in a new tab), The insight's opening paragraph (page dated February 26, 2025) (2035)
- NYISO, 2025 Load and Capacity Data Report (Gold Book) (opens in a new tab), Table I-4a, Baseline Summer Non-Coincident Peak Demand, Historical and Forecast, page 26, Zone J, 2024 row (2024)
The two rows are from different years: the figure is for 2035 and the unit for 2024.
A comparison is arithmetic on two published rows and is never a new fact (how comparisons are made).
Rystad Energy, Data centers reshape US power sector: 395 to 660 TWh
Math
- Electricity US data centers are projected to require by 2035 (Rystad Energy): 395 to 660 TWh a year (2035).
- 395 TWh = 395,000,000,000 kWh; high end 660 TWh = 660,000,000,000 kWh.
- New York City (NYISO Zone J) annual electricity use, actual, 2024: 49,703 GWh a year (2024).
- 49,703 GWh = 49,703,000,000 kWh.
- 395,000,000,000 ÷ 49,703,000,000 = 7.95; high end 660,000,000,000 ÷ 49,703,000,000 = 13.28 (kWh a year over kWh a year).
Sources:
- Rystad Energy, Data centers reshape US power sector (opens in a new tab), The insight's opening section (page dated February 26, 2025) (2035)
- NYISO, 2025 Load and Capacity Data Report (Gold Book) (opens in a new tab), Table I-2, Baseline Annual Energy, Historical and Forecast, page 23, Zone J, 2024 row (2024)
The two rows are from different years: the figure is for 2035 and the unit for 2024.
A comparison is arithmetic on two published rows and is never a new fact (how comparisons are made).
Units: New York City (NYISO Zone J) annual electricity use, actual, 2024: 49,703 GWh a year (2024). NYISO, 2025 Load and Capacity Data Report (Gold Book), Table I-2, Baseline Annual Energy, Historical and Forecast, page 23, Zone J, 2024 row. Water used at home each day by the average American family, more than: 300 gallons a day. EPA WaterSense, How We Use Water, the page's opening paragraph (page last updated August 4, 2026). Average monthly electricity consumption per residential customer, United States: 863 kWh a month per residential customer (2024). EIA, Table 5A, 2024 edition, Table 5A, Residential Average Monthly Bill by Census Division and State, 2024 edition, U.S. Total row (page 2 of 2). New York City (NYISO Zone J) summer peak demand, actual, 2024: 10,245 MW (2024). NYISO, 2025 Load and Capacity Data Report (Gold Book), Table I-4a, Baseline Summer Non-Coincident Peak Demand, Historical and Forecast, page 26, Zone J, 2024 row. Water used at home each day per person, United States: 82 gallons a day per person (2015). EPA WaterSense, Statistics and Facts, Statistics and Facts, the first bullet under Water Use (page last updated March 11, 2026). Average monthly electricity consumption per residential customer, United States, 2023: 855 kWh a month per residential customer (2023). EIA, Table 5A, 2023 edition, Table 5A, Residential Average Monthly Bill by Census Division and State, 2023 edition, U.S. Total row (page 2 of 2), read from the Internet Archive's capture of EIA's own PDF of May 24, 2025.
