Aterio’s Report on US Data Center developments, September, 2025

August marked one of the most active months in 2025 for U.S. data center momentum, with nearly 10.5 GW in new project announcements, several billion-dollar filings across Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico, and early signs of vertical construction resuming at key sites.

Aterio’s latest monthly update compiles verified announcements, satellite-confirmed construction milestones, and project setbacks observed in August 2025. Our goal is to help investors monitor real-world activity across 3,000+ data center facilities in the US, going beyond headlines to track which campuses are actually moving forward.

Project Announcements: 10.5 GW of New Capacity Filed in August

More than a dozen large-scale projects were disclosed or updated in August 2025, totaling 10.5 GW of planned capacity and over $100B in potential investment. These filings reflect the surge in demand from AI and GPU workloads, and their geographic footprint offers important context for global capital allocators:

• Claude, TX: Crusoe Energy began development of the Goodnight AI Campus, a 7-building, 1+ GW site designed with OpenAI-inspired architecture.
• Lebanon, IN: Meta’s Project Domino was expanded to $4.8B and 48.1M sq ft, targeting up to 1.54 GW across 15,000+ acres.
• Kansas City, MO: Shenandoah Computing filed for Project Kestrel, a proposed $10B hyperscale campus with a 1.8M sq ft first phase.
• Albuquerque, NM: STACK Infrastructure’s $16.5B Project Jupiter received bond approval for a 4-building campus with on-site battery storage.
• Shackelford County, TX: A $2.5B, 1.4 GW, 10-building campus was disclosed, adding a new hyperscale cluster in rural West Texas.
• Lancaster, TX: STACK began construction of a 500 MW DFW02 site, with dedicated substation and foundation confirmed via satellite.
• Meridian, MS: Compass resumed work on its $10B, 8-building campus, with land grading and foundation work active since mid-August.
  

These filings and activity confirm that project velocity is recovering after a slow past 2 months, especially in geographies with utility capacity, permissive zoning, and fiber access.

Setbacks and Withdrawals: Water Use and Zoning Challenges

Despite the bullish trend, three major setbacks highlight the risks facing AI-related infrastructure expansion:

• Prince William County, VA: A judge voided zoning approvals for the 2.1K-acre Digital Gateway Corridor, halting development for QTS and Compass.
• Tucson, AZ: AWS’s proposed 630 MW campus was withdrawn over water constraints, despite its $3.6B valuation.
• Meridian, MS: Although construction resumed, initial delays from Q1–Q2 2025 underscore the importance of monitoring ground activity, not just announcements.

For global investors, these flashpoints reinforce the need to track permitting timelines, local utility constraints, and legal risks as capital flows into AI infrastructure.

Geographic Signals: Montana, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Mexico See Tailwinds

Key geographies to watch from August’s filings and activity:

• Montana, Utah, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania were named in filings tied to energy demand forecasts, land purchases, or state-level incentives.
• Claude, TX and Shackelford County, TX emerged as high-capacity, low-density zones where AI campuses can scale quickly.
• Delta, UT saw continued interest, with Caterpillar filing for a 4 GW site tied to hydrogen and solar capacity.
• Meridian, MS and Silver Springs, NV gained attention as Compass and Tract respectively advance 1+ GW campuses.

Want More Granular Data?

Explore detailed information on every active, announced, and under-construction data center in the United States. Download our September Data Center Report.