About & Methodology

How the AI Data Center Index Works

The AI Data Center Index is a source-backed public database tracking the physical infrastructure that powers large-scale AI. It exists to make the global compute buildout legible — not just to industry insiders, but to anyone trying to understand where AI infrastructure actually lives.

Facilities tracked

344

Each with at least one cited source

Countries covered

64

Across 6 continents

Operators indexed

202

Hyperscalers, sovereigns, and specialists

Known capacity

154.6 GW

Total IT load where published

Sourcing Standard

Every entry requires at least one verifiable public source before it is published. Sources are linked on each facility page so readers can evaluate the evidence themselves.

What counts as a source

Official press releases, SEC and regulatory filings, planning applications, power purchase agreements, and reporting from credible industry publications (Data Center Dynamics, Bloomberg, Reuters, The Information).

What does not count

Rumors, anonymous tips, social media posts, or single-source blog speculation. If the only evidence is a LinkedIn post or an unattributed claim, the facility is not included until better evidence appears.

Uncertainty is explicit

Where capacity or status data is approximate, the record says so. The coverage report shows which fields are missing across the full dataset.

What Each Record Contains

Identity & location

Facility name, operating company, country, region, city, and geographic coordinates for map placement.

Power capacity

Known IT load in megawatts, sourced from operator disclosures or regulatory filings. Blank when not publicly reported.

Status & timeline

Operational, under construction, planned, or announced — plus dated milestones where available (announcement year, construction start, operational date).

Energy & AI focus

Primary energy source (renewable, nuclear, gas, mixed) and AI workload type (training, inference, mixed) when disclosed.

Sources

Every entry links to the original announcements, filings, or reporting that substantiate it.

Methodology

Inclusion criteria

A facility is included if it is primarily designed for or significantly allocated to AI workloads (training, inference, or both) and has at least one verifiable public source. Traditional colocation and enterprise data centers are excluded unless they have a documented AI-specific allocation.

Capacity figures

Megawatt values reflect the best publicly available number for each facility. Some operators report total site power, others report IT load only. The index stores the figure as published and notes the distinction where known. Treat MW figures as directionally useful, not perfectly comparable across operators.

Energy classification

"Renewable" means the operator has a specific clean energy commitment (PPA, on-site generation, or 100% renewable matching) for that site. "Nuclear" means a direct nuclear power supply or signed nuclear PPA. "Mixed" means the facility draws from the local grid without a specific clean energy commitment. "Gas" means natural gas is the disclosed primary source.

Status definitions

Operational: facility is live and serving compute workloads.
Under construction: ground has been broken and construction is documented.
Planned: site acquired, permits filed, or detailed plans published.
Announced: operator has publicly stated intent but no construction evidence yet.

Update frequency

The index is updated continuously as new sources become available. There is no fixed publication schedule — when a new facility is announced or an existing entry has new information, it is added as soon as it can be sourced and verified.

Known limitations

The index depends on public disclosure. Facilities that have not been publicly announced or reported are not included. Coverage is strongest in North America and Europe; Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America are known gaps. The coverage transparency pages show exactly which fields and regions are incomplete.

Data Source Categories

Company filings
Press releases, SEC filings, earnings transcripts, and annual reports from operators
Government records
Building permits, planning applications, environmental impact assessments, and utility interconnection filings
Industry publications
Data Center Dynamics, The Information, Bloomberg, Reuters, and regional technology reporting
Research & policy
IEA energy reports, academic research, and national AI strategy documents from sovereign initiatives

All sources are cited inline on each facility page. Readers can evaluate source quality directly — the index does not ask for trust without evidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an AI data center?
A facility designed for the high-density compute requirements of AI training and inference. Unlike traditional data centers optimized for web serving or storage, AI facilities are built around GPU clusters and require significantly more power per rack — often 50–100 kW versus 5–10 kW for conventional racks.
Where are the largest AI data centers located?
The largest concentrations are in the United States (Virginia, Texas, Iowa), with major facilities in Europe (Ireland, Netherlands, Denmark) and Asia (Japan, South Korea, Singapore). Multi-gigawatt campuses are under development in the Middle East. See the largest facilities ranking and the interactive map.
Which companies operate AI data centers?
The major hyperscalers — Microsoft, Google, Amazon (AWS), and Meta — operate the largest fleets. OpenAI partners with Microsoft for compute. Oracle, CoreWeave, and Lambda Labs operate large GPU-focused facilities. National AI initiatives in India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and France are also tracked. See the operators index.
How much power do AI data centers use?
Individual facilities range from a few megawatts for smaller inference clusters to multi-gigawatt campuses. Microsoft's Stargate initiative targets 5 GW of new AI data center capacity. The full global AI compute fleet draws tens of gigawatts — a figure growing rapidly as frontier model training scales.
Is the data free?
Browsing is free. Every facility page, operator profile, and geographic view is public HTML. Bulk dataset exports (CSV, JSON, GeoJSON) and structured intelligence reports are available through the data access page.
How do I submit a new facility?
Use the submission form. Include the facility name, location, capacity in MW, operating companies, and at least one public source. Submissions are reviewed before publishing.