...

By Amanda Greenwood

Associate News Editor

0

Share

Newsweek is a Trust Project member

See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.

A new map tracking artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure across the United States reveals a stark geographic divide: a small number of states are rapidly building data centers, while others are seeing little to no development.

But the data also tells a more complicated story about how—and where—the country’s digital backbone is expanding.

Figures compiled by Erin Brockovich’s AI Data Center Reporting project show 67 major projects currently under construction, 33 operational sites, and 39 proposed developments. However, the platform also tracks community-reported and contested projects, not the full universe of U.S. facilities—an important distinction in a country that already hosts roughly 4,000 to 5,000 data centers, depending on methodology.

Read More on News

Community‑reported locations on the map reached 6,817 as of June 23, reflecting rapid growth in public submissions as awareness spreads.

That gap underscores both the scale of the industry and the growing tension surrounding its expansion.

When the platform first gained attention in late May, it had recorded around 2,716 community reports. This means the total has increased by roughly 4,100 additional reports in just a few weeks—more than doubling since launch and highlighting the accelerating pace of community engagement, whether supportive or opposed.

What the Map Shows

Taken together, the Brockovich data highlights where large, high-profile projects are being built—or resisted—rather than offering a comprehensive census of the sector.

At a national level, the U.S. is already the world’s leading data center market, with more than 3,000 operational facilities and over 1,500 more in development, according to a Pew Research Center analysis.

This broader dataset reinforces the same underlying trend: growth is accelerating but highly uneven.

The new map, therefore, is best understood as a snapshot of where expansion is most visible and contested, rather than a definitive ranking of total infrastructure.

That distinction matters as policymakers, communities, and investors increasingly weigh who benefits and who bears the cost of the AI boom.

Top States: Where Data Center Construction Is Concentrated

The highest levels of development are clustered in a handful of states, including:

• Texas
• Illinois
• Pennsylvania
• Ohio

These states are emerging as major hubs for new builds, often due to a combination of land availability, grid access, and lower regulatory barriers.

Texas, in particular, stands out as a magnet for large-scale AI infrastructure. Its electricity grid operator, ERCOT, has warned that demand from data centers and similar “large loads” could surge dramatically in the coming decade, with projections reaching tens of thousands of megawatts of additional demand.

At the same time, independent mapping shows Texas already hosts hundreds of facilities across operational, planned, and under-construction categories.

The Missing Giant: Virginia’s Dominance

One notable absence from the map’s top rankings is Virginia, despite being the world's largest data center market.

Northern Virginia’s “Data Center Alley” contains the densest concentration of facilities globally and is estimated to handle around 70 percent of global internet traffic. The region has thousands of megawatts of installed capacity and continues to expand, even as land and power constraints tighten.

Its omission from headline rankings likely reflects the Brockovich tracker’s focus on community-reported developments, rather than an absence of activity.

...

Mid-Tier States: Steady But Smaller Buildout

A second tier of states shows meaningful, but notably smaller activity. These typically include a mix of established and emerging markets where projects are present but not dominant.

States in this category generally have:

• Multiple sites in development
• A growing but less concentrated footprint
• Select large-scale projects rather than dense clusters

While not leading nationally, these states are increasingly part of the expanding data center network, often benefiting from spillover as developers look beyond saturated markets.

Lowest-Ranked States: Where Little or No Construction Is Happening

At the other end of the spectrum, several states have little to no data center development underway. At the bottom of the rankings are states with minimal data center construction. States such as Alaska, Vermont, and parts of the rural Northeast have minimal or no infrastructure.

The map highlights that the buildout is far from nationwide, with many states showing few projects under construction.

These lower-ranked states tend to share several characteristics, according to Visual Capitalist:

• Limited large-scale power infrastructure
• Less connectivity to major fiber networks
• Fewer economic incentives for hyperscale development

Growing Resistance: From Local Protests to a National Backlash

A Reuters/Ipsos survey in June found that 57 percent of Americans would oppose a data center being built in their community, with just 14 percent comfortable living near one. Meanwhile, a Gallup survey conducted earlier this year found that around seven in ten Americans oppose the construction of local data centers, highlighting a growing gap between national demand for AI infrastructure and local acceptance.

That tension is largely driven by concerns over cost, environment and quality of life. A Pew Research Center survey of more than 8,500 U.S. adults found Americans are far more likely to view data centers negatively when it comes to their impact on energy bills, environmental strain and nearby living conditions, with significantly more people saying they are bad rather than good for the environment and household electricity costs.

Those concerns are increasingly translating into real-world resistance across the country. The backlash has also begun to shape policy, with some states considering moratoriums or stricter regulations, and leaders on both sides of the political spectrum calling for limits on rapid expansion.

Utah’s high-profile Stratos project is one recent high-profile example. Backed by Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary, the colossal data center was initially planned to span 62 square miles—twice the size of Manhattan. Following weeks of protests from outraged Utah residents and a formal letter from Republican Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams, O'Leary agreed in June 2026 to scale back the project by 75 percent—from 40,000 acres to 10,000 acres, admitting he "screwed up" the initial rollout.

...

A Widening Gap in the AI Infrastructure Race

The uneven map reflects a deeper shift in the U.S. digital economy.

While leading states continue to attract the majority of projects, others remain largely on the sidelines. This concentration risks reinforcing a divide in:

• Economic investment
• Job creation
• Digital infrastructure resilience

The pattern is not new, but it is intensifying as AI drives unprecedented demand for computing power.

Data centers already consume about 4 percent of total U.S. electricity, a share projected to rise as AI workloads expand. In some regions, utilities are being forced to rethink grid capacity and long-term energy planning.

Why The Divide Is Growing

Several forces are pushing development toward the same handful of states:

1. Energy Constraints

AI-driven data centers require enormous amounts of electricity. In Texas alone, forecasts suggest demand tied to large projects could surge sharply over the next decade, straining grid capacity.

2. Land and Cost Advantages

States in the South and Midwest offer:

• Larger sites for hyperscale campuses
• Lower land and construction costs
• Faster permitting timelines

3. Infrastructure Clustering

Existing hubs create “network effects,” where proximity to fiber networks, customers, and other data centers attracts further investment.

4. Community Pushback

The Brockovich tracker reflects a growing reality: projects are increasingly contested at the local level.

Concerns often focus on:

• Energy consumption
• Water use
• Land use and environmental impact

Researchers estimate that U.S. data centers could eventually consume as much water annually as 10 million Americans, depending on growth scenarios. This has made siting decisions more politically sensitive, slowing or reshaping development in some areas.

View 0 Comments

Request Reprint & Licensing

Submit Correction

View Editorial & AI Guidelines