U.S. AI Data Center Development Reaccelerates in January as Multi-Gigawatt Projects Advance Nationwide

January saw renewed construction, permitting, and power-linked site activity as Microsoft, Amazon, Crusoe, and TeraWulf advanced major projects nationwide.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, February 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Aterio, a provider of continuously updated U.S. data center intelligence, released its February 2026 US Datacenter Monthly industry update. The report summarizes major development activity observed during January 2026 across the United States, including multi-building campus approvals, construction mobilization, new air and building permits, power-linked site acquisitions, and execution updates.

Aterio publishes monthly industry updates informed by its daily-updated subscription dataset, which tracks every active, under-construction, and announced U.S. data center project nationwide.

LARGE-SCALE AI CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION

Microsoft received approval in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin for a 15-building data center campus across two adjacent sites, expanding well beyond its earlier six-building concept and diverging from its typical Fairwater layout design.

Crusoe filed new permits for Buildings 5 and 6 at its Project Goodnight campus in Armstrong County, Texas. Recent satellite imagery confirms construction activity beginning on-site.

Crusoe’s five-building Project Jade campus in Laramie County, Wyoming is showing post-approval mobilization. Aterio’s latest satellite review identified construction activity near the adjacent substation and early ground movement across portions of the site.

CAPACITY EXPANSION AND SITE ACQUISITION

TeraWulf acquired two new development sites in Hawesville, Kentucky (480 MW) and at Maryland’s Morgantown Generating Station (210 MW), adding approximately 1.5 GW of power capacity to its broader development pipeline.

Google has been identified as the end-user behind two proposed projects: A ~500,000 sq ft campus in Scioto County, Ohio and a ~300,000 sq ft facility at the Port of Little Rock, Arkansas. Both projects reinforce Google’s continued regional expansion strategy.

REZONING AND EARLY-STAGE DEVELOPMENT FILINGS

Forsyth City Council voted 5–1 to grant a conditional use permit for the 1,600-acre Forsyth Technology Campus, where Trammell Crow Company and H&H Timberlands plan a 21-building data center campus. Total power capacity has not yet been disclosed.

Atlas Development submitted an application for Project Bus in Temple, Texas, proposing up to 12 data center buildings and two on-site substations.

Nebius filed a building permit on January 29, 2026 for its data center campus in Birmingham, Alabama, covering a 79-acre site.

INCREMENTAL CAMPUS EXPANSION

Through an air permit filing, Aterio identified a new Amazon campus near Reno, Nevada outlining a nine-building layout, each with 38 generators rated at 3.5 MW, with four buildings already under construction.

PROJECT STATUS CHANGES AND EXECUTION UPDATES

Aterio’s satellite analysis indicates a Q4 execution delay at Amazon’s Project Rainier. Approximately 260 MW of incremental capacity appears activation-ready versus the ~520 MW initially implied, suggesting a slower-than-anticipated ramp.

MARKET OUTLOOK

January reflected renewed activity following typical year-end moderation, with development momentum distributed across Wisconsin, Texas, Nevada, Kentucky, Wyoming, Alabama, Arkansas, and Ohio. Construction mobilization, zoning approvals, and power-backed site acquisitions suggest continued geographic diversification beyond traditional hyperscale hubs.

As 2026 progresses, monitoring substation-linked projects, phased campus builds, and execution timelines will remain critical to understanding the pace and distribution of U.S. AI-driven infrastructure expansion.

ABOUT ATERIO

Aterio provides real-time, facility-level intelligence on U.S. data center development, AI-driven power demand, and digital infrastructure growth. Its continuously updated subscription dataset tracks every active, under-construction, and announced data center project across the United States.

Learn more at https://www.aterio.io

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