Business Insider Maps 1,416 US Data Centers in 45 States, Flagging 20 Dedicated Power-Plant Permits
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jun 8
Business Insider Maps 1,416 US Data Centers in 45 States, Flagging 20 Dedicated Power-Plant Permits
3 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Jun 8
Summary
1,416 data centers built or approved by the end of 2025 appear in Business Insider’s new searchable map, covering 45 states and Washington, DC and letting users search by address, county, ZIP code or owner.
Air permits for backup generators underpin the analysis: Business Insider requested records from all 50 states and DC, then used permit data to identify sites, ownership and estimated electricity demand.
20 permits for power plants meant to serve data centers were also identified, highlighting how development is spreading beyond Virginia into newer hot spots including West Texas, near Cheyenne, Wyoming, and rural Wisconsin.
Company tallies diverged from the permit-based count in some cases: Meta said it has 28 US data centers versus Business Insider’s 38, while Equinix said it had 79 built or under construction versus 56 permits identified.
The outlet said its power-use estimates likely undercount the biggest campuses because some projects with dedicated generation install few or no backup diesel generators, making fast-growing complexes such as xAI’s Memphis site appear smaller.
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Overview
The United States is undergoing an unprecedented surge in data center development, reversing years of flat electricity demand that followed the early 2000s. This new wave is marked by rapid construction and a significant shift in where data centers are being built, with some traditional hubs like Northern Virginia and Silicon Valley seeing declines, while cities like Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth experience explosive growth. The expansion is driven by rising demand for artificial intelligence, which requires massive computing power. As a result, the landscape of digital infrastructure is evolving quickly, bringing immediate impacts on electricity demand and local communities.