North American data centers could tally $1T in new builds by 2030, but the boom is colliding head-on with utility realities: record demand, constrained capacity, and years-long interconnection queues. (JLL)
The average wait for a US grid connection is now 4 years, with utilities hiking deposits and contract minimums to weed out spec projects and speed things up.
Commercial power prices have jumped nearly 30% since 2020, with regional spreads ranging from 5.7¢/kWh (Salt Lake City) to 21¢ (Southern California). Low-cost power markets (NoVA, Dallas, Phoenix) are capturing 75% of development.