Data centers, fueled by AI, are driving massive U.S. power infrastructure growth, with key hubs like Virginia and Texas leading amid rising grid demands.

A new map by Visual Capitalist and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, backed by the U.S. Department of Energy, reveals the growing power infrastructure behind the nation’s booming data center industry. Key hubs like Loudoun County, Virginia, Ashburn, and West Texas are central due to reliable, low-cost electricity, cooling water, fiber networks, and favorable policies. Data centers now use 2–3% of U.S. electricity, with demand expected to double by 2030 due to AI. The Southwest Power Pool, overseeing much of the central U.S., has approved a plan to speed up connections for large power users like data centers amid rising grid strain and interconnection delays. Over $160 billion in data center projects are underway in the SPP region, involving major companies such as Alphabet, Meta, and American Electric Power.