Cleanview reports US data centers to increase power capacity sevenfold

The US is about to build a second electrical grid, except this one is just for data centers. According to Cleanview, a market intelligence firm founded by Michael Thomas, the country currently has 1,298 operational data centers with a combined capacity of 61,560 megawatts. The planned pipeline dwarfs that figure so thoroughly it almost looks like a typo: 2,142 additional projects would add 380,312 MW, roughly a sevenfold increase in total facility power capacity.

Texas leads the land grab

Texas is projected to capture between 75 and 100 GW of planned data center capacity, making it the undisputed heavyweight in the expansion. Virginia and Utah are also significant participants, though neither approaches Texas’s projected scale.

The rise of behind-the-meter power

Perhaps the most telling trend in Cleanview’s data is the explosion of “behind-the-meter” projects. These are data centers that aren’t waiting around for the local utility to hook them up. Instead, they’re building their own power generation on-site, typically using natural gas turbines.

Cleanview has tracked roughly 59 such projects, accounting for approximately 90 GW of capacity. The timing is striking: about 92% of these announcements, representing around 82 GW, have come since early 2025.

xAI’s Colossus sites near Memphis, Tennessee offer a vivid example. The Elon Musk-backed AI company has deployed approximately 1.5 GW of mobile gas turbines to power its facilities.

Michael Thomas has pointed to the urgency around project speed and the willingness to use unconventional equipment as defining characteristics of this cycle.

What’s driving the demand

The permitting bottleneck remains a major variable. Many of the 2,142 planned projects tracked by Cleanview are still navigating regulatory approval processes.

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