Data center development across the Americas has reached a new high, with 37.7 gigawatts of capacity reported as under construction, according to Cushman & Wakefield. The firm notes that access to power and supporting infrastructure is increasingly dictating where new projects can move forward, reshaping the geography of digital infrastructure investment across the region.
John McWilliams, head of data center insights at Cushman & Wakefield, said the core challenge is no longer demand, but the ability to secure sufficient power and grid support to bring projects online. He described demand for data center capacity as insatiable, while emphasizing that power availability, grid infrastructure and regulatory certainty now form the core competitive advantages for markets pursuing new development.
These conditions are influencing the relative position of both established and emerging data center markets. Mature hubs such as Northern Virginia, Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas continue to draw sizable capital commitments, supported by dense connectivity ecosystems, concentrations of customers and well-developed infrastructure networks. Their existing advantages keep them at the center of many expansion strategies, even as power and regulatory considerations become more acute.
At the same time, markets that historically sat outside the primary data center corridor are gaining momentum. Cushman & Wakefield highlights West Texas, Pennsylvania, Alberta and Cheyenne as locations attracting some of the largest proposed developments in the region. In these markets, the interplay of power access, grid capability and regulatory frameworks is creating openings for large-scale projects that might be more difficult to execute in more built-out environments.
The shift described by Cushman & Wakefield suggests that data center site selection is increasingly governed by infrastructure fundamentals rather than legacy market status alone. As developers and investors calibrate to power and grid realities, traditional hubs and newer destinations are being reevaluated on similar criteria, redrawing the map for data center growth across the Americas.
