New Enerdatics report maps how grid constraints, power deliverability, and procurement strategy are reshaping U.S. data center expansion in 2026.
HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, February 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Enerdatics today announced the release of its US Data Centre: State of the Market Report 2026, a comprehensive analysis of how power availability, grid constraints, and procurement strategy are reshaping data centre development across the United States.
The report finds that U.S. data centre growth is increasingly defined by power deliverability rather than traditional location drivers, as interconnection backlogs, transmission constraints, and rising demand from AI workloads push developers to rethink where and how capacity can realistically be brought online.
“The data centre market is no longer constrained by demand; it’s constrained by deliverability,” said Mohit Kaul, Founder & CEO of Enerdatics. “In 2026, site selection is fundamentally a power strategy. Developers and hyperscalers that can align grid access, generation, and flexibility will be the ones that scale with confidence.”
Market Snapshot: Scale Concentrates, Geography Expands
Enerdatics’ analysis covers more than 4,000 operating and planned data centres, representing over 240 GW of cumulative power demand across the U.S. While core markets such as PJM, ERCOT, and CAISO continue to anchor capacity, the report shows a growing shift toward power-first secondary and exurban markets where land availability, zoning, and grid optionality offer clearer pathways to energisation.
Within PJM, Northern Virginia remains the largest hyperscale hub, but expansion is increasingly radiating into adjacent Mid-Atlantic and Midwest markets. In ERCOT, growth is extending beyond traditional metros into West Texas and the Panhandle, supported by land scale and generation availability. In the West, California remains capacity-constrained, with incremental development increasingly shifting toward neighbouring states.
Power Procurement: From Volume to Firmness
The report highlights how solar has dominated near-term procurement, driven by speed and scale, while the market increasingly prioritises round-the-clock power coverage. As a result, interest in storage, hybrid structures, and firming solutions is accelerating, particularly for large AI and hyperscale campuses with high utilisation profiles.
Enerdatics also finds that power pricing and structure are becoming more localised, with congestion, basis risk, and node-specific conditions driving divergence across markets. These dynamics are pushing buyers and developers to integrate power strategy earlier into site selection and capital planning.
Key Themes for 2026
The report identifies several forces shaping the next phase of U.S. data centre development, with grid constraints now acting as a primary siting filter and accelerating interest in alternative power pathways such as co-located generation and off-grid solutions. At the same time, energy storage is moving up the stack, increasingly used to shape load, manage volatility, and support higher utilisation, while expansion beyond core hubs is gaining pace as developers target markets where power delivery timelines are more predictable, even if latency is secondary. Together, these dynamics point to a market where execution certainty, rather than headline capacity, is becoming the primary driver of value.
Access the Report
The US Data Centre: State of the Market Report 2026 is now available on the Enerdatics website.
To learn more, visit www.enerdatics.com.
About Enerdatics
Enerdatics provides data products and analytics for energy and infrastructure markets, supporting decision-making across strategy, investment, and development workflows. The platform delivers intelligence spanning data centres, power markets, renewable energy, M&A, financings, and power procurement, and is used by corporate strategy teams, investors, developers, and advisors globally.
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Enerdatics Services Pvt. Ltd.
February 2026
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