North Texas Tops 107-Market Data Center Ranking as AI Boom Tests Texas Power Grid
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 10
North Texas Tops 107-Market Data Center Ranking as AI Boom Tests Texas Power Grid
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 10
Summary
Dallas took No. 1 in Cushman & Wakefield’s 2026 global data center market comparison, which ranked 107 markets on growth positioning rather than current operating size.
AI demand is driving that rise as companies chase land, power and infrastructure; Dallas now has one of the biggest development pipelines, behind only Virginia and Atlanta.
Texas also placed Austin-San Antonio and West Texas first in their categories, reinforcing the state’s push to expand beyond the long-established Dallas-Fort Worth hub.
4.4 years is the average utility wait to connect large projects, making electricity the industry’s top site-selection factor and pushing some developers to secure their own power.
Texas could eventually match or surpass Virginia in total capacity, but water constraints and grid strain are emerging as the main limits on that growth.