Data Center Dynamics reports that former industrial mill sites represent roughly 10 gigawatts of shovel-ready data center capacity that remains largely untapped. These sites offer existing power infrastructure, large footprints, and in many cases fiber access, reducing the time and cost required to bring new capacity online. The analysis frames repurposed industrial land as a near-term solution to the persistent shortage of grid-connected development sites.
A 10GW pipeline of pre-permitted, power-connected sites would represent a meaningful share of total US data center capacity under development, and accessing it could accelerate timelines by years compared to greenfield construction. Developers facing interconnection queues and land scarcity have strong financial incentives to evaluate this inventory seriously.
Keywords '10GW,' 'shovel-ready,' and 'data center sites' triggered selection. The story ranked here because the scale of identified capacity and the practical argument for repurposing existing infrastructure addresses one of the industry's most acute near-term constraints.