What DataCenterData publishes
They describe different populations and units. Licensed rows are broad discovery leads, not independently verified facilities. The interactive national/detailed maps use overlapping source listings from multiple layers; their listing totals are not the same population as the licensed-directory lead count on the homepage. DataCenterData records answer narrower questions and show an evidence status per row.
Every total on this site
Each figure is computed from the published files when the site is built. They count different things, overlap, and must not be added together.
- 2,650 facility register records
- One record per campus, building, suite or unresolved operator presence named by any source layer, with the layers joined on one page. Different units; not a count of distinct sites.
- 664 county register pages
- Counties named by at least one register record. A facility without a stated county is listed only on its state page.
- 214 published DataCenterData records
- Every reviewed record with its own entry, whatever its unit or evidence status.
- 87 projects or campuses in the headline
- Published records that are independently source-linked and whose unit is a project or campus.
- 21 facilities or buildings in the headline
- Published records that are independently source-linked and whose unit is a facility or building.
- 217 DataCenterData records on the map
- The 214 published records plus 3 cooling-and-water case-study records; 89 have a map point.
- 1,822 licensed directory rows
- Compute Atlas edition 1.34.1 rows for the 50 states, dated 14 October 2026: discovery leads, not independently verified; 1,818 are drawn on the map.
- 648 operator-listed sites
- Locations operators list on their own websites that are not licensed rows; mixed units.
- 661 operator source listings
- The individual operator web listings behind those 648 sites; a site named by more than one listing counts once among the sites.
- 1,076 operator-listed source listings on the map
- The 648 operator-listed sites plus 428 operator listings attached to licensed rows.
- 125 federal EPA registry addresses
- Addresses where the U.S. EPA facility registry lists a data-center registration and that are not already licensed rows or operator-listed sites. Registry records, not buildings.
- 66 state and local registry entries
- Government records naming a data-center project that no other layer holds; the map lists 121 state and local records, counting each record in an entry and those attached to other listings.
- 3,115 data-center listings on the map
- Licensed rows, operator-listed source listings and DataCenterData records: the layers shown when the map opens. Overlapping layers, not a census.
- 3,361 source listings on the map, all layers
- Adds the government registry layers; 2,325 have a supported or approximate map point.
- 566 policy actions
- Sourced state, local, utility and grid actions, one row per legal or administrative action. Not facility counts.
- 90 evidence checks
- Questions, public statements and documented facts reviewed against cited evidence.
- 387 metro areas
- Official Census metropolitan statistical areas in the 50 states and D.C. (micropolitan areas are not included); 248 contain at least one mapped listing.
- 28 dated facility and project events
- Reviewed real-world events, each with its source and date.
Operator-listed sites and linked sources
648 operator-listed sites name locations on operators’ own websites, including facilities, buildings, campuses and tenant spaces. These 648 operator-listed sites are not a count of distinct facilities. The detailed map counts 1,076 operator-listed source listings, equal to these sites plus 428 source attachments on licensed rows. The populations overlap and are not added into a facility total.
428 operator-source listings are linked to 391 existing licensed directory records. These links add sources to existing records; they do not establish additional facilities or independent verification. Several source listings can link to one directory record.
Licensed directory edition
1,822 licensed source listings · edition 1.34.1 · source as of 14 October 2026. This population differs from the overlapping source listings on the maps.
Evidence-check breakdown
30 questions reviewed: 3 Supported · 2 Partially supported · 15 Contradicted · 9 unresolved (Unknown) · 1 Not yet due. Unresolved questions are not treated as answered.
50 statements checked · 10 documented facts. Browse the evidence checks →
Why public totals disagree
Directories may count buildings, campuses, colocation locations, network presences, announced projects, operating sites, or some mixture. They also update on different schedules and resolve duplicates differently. A larger total can reflect a broader definition rather than better coverage.
- Project or campus
- A development program or multi-building site. It may never become one operating facility.
- Facility or building
- A physical operating or proposed building when the source establishes that unit.
- Provider presence
- A service location or point of presence. It does not necessarily establish a distinct data-center building.
- Municipal lead
- A planning, permit, or development row that still needs identity and lifecycle reconciliation.
- Licensed lead
- A third-party directory row preserved for discovery, attribution, and follow-up. It is not promoted into reviewed counts automatically.
- Map source listing
- A row admitted into a map layer. Listings can overlap across layers and are not all distinct U.S. facilities.
National electricity demand
Primary national estimates
192 TWh · 4.7% in 2024
The LBNL report's 2025 Update, released in June 2026, revised the historical modeled national estimate to 192 TWh in 2024, or 4.7% of U.S. electricity. Its reference case reaches 649 TWh in 2030, or 11.8%, with a compounded uncertainty range of 521–843 TWh. The earlier 2024 LBNL report estimated 176 TWh in 2023 and a 2028 scenario range of 325–580 TWh.
2025 Update (June 2026), DOE-hosted copy → · LBNL 2024 report → · LBNL publication record →
The update explicitly excludes cryptocurrency-mining electricity. Historical modeled estimates, a reference case, and scenario ranges are different quantities. These national models use a different population and methodology than the directory and are not joined to any facility count.
Our rule
Every displayed total names its unit, evidence layer, geography, and date. Unknown stays unknown. Planned and operating records are not silently added, and MW is not compared unless the measurement boundary is established.