U.S. Data Center Construction Digest
Feb 24–Mar 3, 2026
Below is this week’s U.S. Data Center Construction Digest — a concise, decision-useful snapshot of new project announcements, expansions, and regulatory actions shaping development across the country.
It’s designed for executives tracking where capital is flowing, where projects are stalling, and how power, policy, and AI-driven demand are influencing site selection and delivery timelines.
| Developer / Project | Location & scale | City/state | Acres / buildings / MW / SF | Investment & timeline | Project status | Notes |
| Penzance – “Bedington Campus” | Greenfield hyperscale campus | Falling Waters District, Berkeley County, WV | 548 acres, ~1.9M SF, 600MW at full build-out | $4B (timeline not shared) | Planning | West Virginia is explicitly marketing “AI / intelligence center” positioning; execution risk will hinge on power procurement and transmission timelines in the Eastern Panhandle. |
| Habitat Partners / Development Authority of Columbus – “Project Ruby” | Large campus under negotiation | Muscogee County (Upatoi), GA | Local reporting indicates ~987 acres, 4 buildings, 600MW requested (phased) | $5B+; site described as 2027–2030 build-out (with longer power ramp discussed) | Planning | A “600MW-class” interconnect request is the real constraint; watch the utility’s delivery schedule and whether incentives/abatements become necessary to keep the deal viable. |
| Amazon Data Services – GWU VA Tech Campus acquisition | Future campus redevelopment (eventual DC use) | Ashburn, VA | 122 acres | $427M acquisition; GW retains site up to 5 years while relocating | Planning | A clean example of land-banking in NoVA: the entitlement/power pathway matters more than the purchase price; this also signals continued hyperscale appetite despite tighter utility queues. |
| TigerDC – “Project Spero” (withdrawn) | Proposed campus pulled after incentives denied | Spartanburg County, SC | (Not restated in DCD item) | Previously framed as $3B; formally withdrawn Feb 27 | Halted | Clear case of community opposition + elected officials refusing PILOT/tax relief; this pattern is spreading beyond traditional DC markets. |
| Starwood Digital Ventures – “Project Washington” appeal | Coastal Zone ruling contested | New Castle County area, DE | Phase 1: ~3.0M SF across six 500k-SF buildings; Phase 2: ~3.1M SF more | Appeal filed after state classified it “heavy industrial use” (prohibited in zone) | Paused | This is a regulatory-definition fight (what a data center is under state coastal law). If Starwood loses, it becomes a playbook for blocking large-load projects via classification, not zoning. |
| Denver (proposed moratorium) | City considering a one-year pause | Denver, CO | Would affect projects like a multi-phase CoreSite development (one structure cited at 180k SF under construction) | Council discussion could start Mar 31; pause targeted for spring 2026 | Planning | The driver is utilities + zoning mismatch (energy/water/footprint). Expect more “time-out” moratoria in dense/impacted neighborhoods where cumulative infrastructure burden is politically salient. |
| Prometheus Hyperscale – Dallas-area campus | Liquid-cooled site with behind-the-meter strategy | Kaufman County (between Talty & Post Oak Bend City), TX | 500 acres, up to 200MW, 4 buildings (per company statements) | Uses Jenbacher J620 gas engines + ties to adjacent Engie BESS | Planning | This is the clearest signal in the week that “power-first” site models (BTM gas + storage) are moving from concept to repeatable template—especially for liquid-cooled AI loads. |
| American Tower – Edge sites (zoning secured) | Two “construction-ready” edge builds | Oklahoma City, OK + Tampa Bay (North Largo), FL | OK: 83.5 acres, 16k SF, 4MW; FL: 2.3 acres, 4MW | AT says 12–18 months to bring online after anchor lease | Planning | Edge is being productized as “pre-entitled + utility-confirmed.” Small MW doesn’t mean small friction—local siting politics can still derail even 4MW builds. |
| Virginia – sales tax exemption fight | State budget + HB 897 linkage | VA (statewide) | Exemption covers computer equipment & software (5.3% tax impact) | Senate proposes ending exemption Jan 1, 2027; House keeps it; HB 897 would tie breaks to “green” credentials and extend to 2050 | Planning | This is a flagship “trade incentives for guardrails” move in the largest US DC market—expect other states to mirror “benefits only if you meet X.” |
| “Project Jarvis” / Sentinel Grove Technology Park (withdrawn application) | Mega-campus pulled back due to pending regulation | St. Lucie County (Fort Pierce area), FL | ~1,200 acres, 1GW proposed | Developer withdrew land-use application as Florida considers SB 484 | Paused | This is what “utility-upgrade cost shifting” bills do in practice: they stop projects before entitlement, because pro formas can’t survive policy uncertainty. |
| Federal signal – “build your own power” directive | Policy pressure on hyperscalers/large DCs | U.S. (national) | N/A | Framed during State of the Union | Planning | Even if it’s not immediately enforceable, it accelerates the market shift toward self-supply (BTM gas, fuel cells, PPAs + storage) and raises the bar for interconnection asks that impact retail rates. |
| Edwardsville – data center “inquiry” disclosure | Early-stage prospect activity; no formal application | Edwardsville, IL | N/A (no proposal submitted) | City states any proposal would go through normal public process | Planning | Worth tracking because it’s a Midwest example of the “email trail becomes the story” dynamic—process transparency is becoming a gating factor before shovels hit dirt. |
Trends and observations
- The biggest projects this week are still “power-shaped.” Project Ruby’s 600MW-class request and Prometheus’ BTM strategy both underline that delivery schedule (not land) is the real bottleneck.
- Policy is moving toward forcing developers to internalize grid upgrade costs (Florida SB 484), which will either kill marginal projects or push more self-supply architectures.
Community and political pushback
- TigerDC’s withdrawal after incentive denial is a clean example of “social license” becoming binary—projects can be investable on paper and still die at the council dais.
- Denver’s potential moratorium shows the next wave: cities pausing because zoning frameworks are behind reality on energy/water/footprint impacts.
Cooling and onsite/off-grid power strategies
- Prometheus is explicitly pairing liquid cooling with behind-the-meter gas + adjacent storage—an “AI-load-ready” pattern that keeps repeating.
- Federal rhetoric is aligning with this: “build your own power” pushes the market further toward BTM gas, fuel cells, and storage-backed PPAs as standard, not exotic.
Signals of hyperscale and AI-driven demand
- Amazon’s Ashburn land acquisition is classic hyperscale land control in the most supply-constrained market—still expanding footprint where it matters most.
- WV’s “High Impact Intelligence Center” branding and 600MW targeting is another signal that states are actively repositioning for AI-era mega loads (and competing with incentives + narrative).