SMRs for Top 10 US Data Centers, Over 90 GW Demand, 7-Year Waits (2024-2026)

The U.S. data center market is undergoing a fundamental transformation where power availability has eclipsed land and fiber as the primary constraint on growth. Driven by the exponential demands of artificial intelligence, total power requirements are projected to surge from approximately 30 GW in 2025 to 90 GW or more by 2030. This has created a critical bifurcation between established, power-constrained hubs and emerging markets with available grid capacity. The most significant indicator of this strain is the extension of grid interconnection timelines to between 3 and 7 years in primary markets, rendering traditional development models obsolete. The dominant theme for 2025 and beyond is a strategic pivot toward energy self-sufficiency, with developers aggressively pursuing behind-the-meter solutions, including fuel cells and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), to secure power and bypass gridlock.

1. Vantage Data Centers Commits to 192 MW Northern Virginia Campus

Company: Vantage Data Centers
Installation Capacity: 192 MW
Applications: New data center campus development in a power-constrained region.
Source: New Data Center Developments: December 2025

2. NTT Secures 90 MW Hyperscale Deployment in Virginia

Company: NTT
Installation Capacity: Over 90 MW
Applications: Hyperscale customer deployment at VA 11 campus, driven by AI push.
Source: NTT Lands 115 MW in Data Center Deals as Part of $10 B AI Push

3. Dominion Energy Faces 70 GW Demand Backlog

Company: Dominion Energy
Installation Capacity: Preparing for 70, 000 MW (70 GW) in new demand requests.
Applications: Managing an extreme backlog in its large load interconnection queue in Northern Virginia.
Source: Dominion prepares for 70, 000 MW in data center demand

4. Texas Utility Oncor Reports 186 GW in Data Center Requests

Company: Oncor
Installation Capacity: 186 GW of interconnection requests.
Applications: Processing a massive influx of data center power requests within the ERCOT grid.
Source: Texas utility Oncor reports 186 GW of interconnection requests from …

5. Austin and San Antonio Market Undergoes Four-Fold Construction Growth

Company: N/A (Market-level)
Installation Capacity: 463.5 MW under construction.
Applications: Rapid data center construction in a key emerging Texas market.
Source: DATA CENTER REPORT – 2024 NORTH AMERICA – W Companies

6. RWE Commissions 423.6 MW of Solar to Support Illinois Grid

Company: RWE
Installation Capacity: 273.6 MW (Emily Solar) + 150 MW (Casey Fork Solar).
Applications: New renewable capacity aimed at serving growing industrial and data center loads within the PJM region.
Source: RWE commissions 2 GW of new energy projects in the U.S., creating …

7. AEP Ohio Halts New Service Requests Amidst Overwhelming Demand

Company: American Electric Power (AEP)
Installation Capacity: N/A (Moratorium)
Applications: Issued a moratorium on new data center service requests, signaling grid saturation in an emerging hub.
Source: [PDF] Rethinking Load Growth – Nicholas Institute – Duke University

8. Nevada Market Poised for 3, 812 MW Energy Requirement

Company: N/A (Market-level)
Installation Capacity: Projected need for 3, 812 MW (3.8 GW).
Applications: Reflects a 953% anticipated capacity increase, the fastest growth in the nation.
Source: U.S. Data Center Powerhouses: The 5 Fastest-Growing Hubs – Upwind

9. Sabey Data Centers Announces 30 MW Expansion in Washington

Company: Sabey Data Centers
Installation Capacity: 30 MW
Applications: Capacity expansion at two campuses in the Pacific Northwest.
Source: Sabey Data Centers Announces 30-Megawatt Capacity Expansion …

10. Northern Virginia Construction Pipeline Surpasses 2 GW

Company: N/A (Market-level)
Installation Capacity: 2, 078.2 MW under construction as of H 1 2025.
Applications: An 80% increase from the previous period, highlighting intense development despite power constraints.
Source: North America Data Center Trends H 1 2025 – CBRE

Table: Recent US Data Center Power Developments and Market Signals (2024-2026)

On-Site Power, AI Workloads Drive 90 GW Demand for SMRs and Fuel Cells

The core driver for this market shift is the transition to high-density AI workloads. Traditional data centers operate with rack power densities of 5-10 k W, whereas AI applications require 50 k W per rack or higher. This step-change means that new “mega campuses” often demand from 100 MW to over 1 GW of power, a scale that overwhelms utility planning cycles. The diversity of market signals—from specific campus announcements like Vantage’s 192 MW project to staggering utility backlogs like Dominion Energy’s 70 GW queue—underscores a systemic problem. This environment forces a strategic pivot where on-site generation technologies like fuel cells and SMRs are no longer just for backup power but are becoming a primary, mission-critical component of development strategy to ensure project viability.

Cloud and Edge Computing Drive Market

This chart reinforces the section’s key point that new workloads are driving demand, identifying cloud and edge computing as the high-impact factors behind the market shift.

(Source: Coherent Market Insights)

US Market Bifurcation, Texas’s ERCOT Challenges Virginia’s PJM Dominance

Geographically, the data reveals a clear split between power-constrained legacy markets and power-available emerging ones. Northern Virginia, while still the world’s largest market with over 15 GW in its total pipeline, is a victim of its success. Its growth is severely hampered by the notoriously congested PJM Interconnection queue. This gridlock has created a significant opportunity for markets with more agile grid management. Texas, operating under the ERCOT system, is the primary beneficiary and is poised to capture nearly 30% of the U.S. market by 2028. Though its own queue is massive—with utility Oncor alone reporting 186 GW in requests—the regulatory environment is perceived as more favorable to development. This trend is further evidenced by the explosive growth planned for Nevada (projecting a 953% capacity increase) and the steady absorption in Phoenix and Atlanta, which are capturing demand that can no longer be served in Virginia.

PJM and ERCOT Grids Dominate US Market

This chart directly visualizes the section’s narrative by showing the respective power capacity shares of the PJM (Virginia) and ERCOT (Texas) electrical grids.

(Source: Utility Dive)

7-Year Timelines, Gridlock Accelerates SMR and On-Site Power Commercialization

These installations reveal a critical mismatch between the speed of AI-driven demand and the pace of grid infrastructure development. The reality of a 3 to 7-year wait for a grid interconnection makes traditional development timelines untenable. This pressure is accelerating the commercial case for on-site power technologies. While natural gas turbines and fuel cells are immediate, commercial-ready solutions, the sheer scale of demand makes Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) a necessary part of the long-term solution. The experience in Ohio, where AEP issued a moratorium on new service requests, serves as a stark warning that even fast-growing secondary markets can saturate quickly. This high-pressure environment is transforming the business case for SMRs, moving them from a future concept to a critical component of the 2026-2030 data center development roadmap.

SMR Adoption, Data Centers Eye Grid Independence as Queues Lengthen Beyond 2026

The single most critical strategic action for data center developers in 2025 and 2026 is to secure power access independent of conventional grid interconnection queues. The market is rapidly moving toward a model of energy self-sufficiency, and developers who fail to adapt will be left behind.

• If interconnection queues in primary markets like PJM and ERCOT remain congested, watch for hyperscale data center operators to announce direct partnerships or offtake agreements with SMR developers. The 70 GW demand backlog at Dominion Energy is a clear signal that the traditional utility model cannot scale at the pace AI requires.
• The trend of expanding into secondary markets will continue but will increasingly hit limits, as demonstrated by the AEP Ohio moratorium. This will only intensify the search for viable on-site solutions. The projected 953% growth for Nevada is unsustainable without a corresponding plan for massive new generation, making it a prime candidate for a first-of-its-kind data center-SMR project.
• Expect a significant rise in hybrid energy strategies. The adoption of fuel cells and advanced battery storage in markets like Silicon Valley indicates that operators are already building sophisticated microgrids. Adding SMRs to provide clean, reliable baseload power is the next logical evolution, transforming data centers from passive energy consumers into active grid participants.

The questions your competitors are already asking

This report covers one angle of the US data center market’s pivot to on-site power generation. The questions that matter most depend on your work.

• What is the outlook for Small Modular Reactor (SMR) deployment in US data centers by 2030?
• How do on-site SMRs compare to traditional grid interconnection for cost, reliability, and deployment time at a 100+ MW scale?
• Which US data center markets are gaining ground due to grid availability, and which established hubs like Northern Virginia are losing their lead?

This report does not answer these. Enki Brief Pro does.

Your question, your angle, your framework. SWOT, PESTL, scenario modelling. The same niche depth, built around the decision your work actually depends on.

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