Fuel Cells, SMRs, and On-Site Power Strategies Reshape U.S. AI Data Center Expansion

April data center activity shows power strategy becoming central to AI infrastructure growth, with major projects advancing across NM, GA, IN, TX, and UT.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, May 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Aterio, a provider of continuously updated U.S. data center intelligence, released its May 2026 US Datacenter Monthly industry update. The report summarizes major development activity observed during April 2026 across the United States, including construction progress, campus approvals, land acquisitions, power-backed development strategies, and hyperscale capacity expansion.

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

APRIL 2026 DATA CENTER OVERVIEW

April activity reflected continued expansion in AI-focused data center infrastructure across the United States, with hyperscale operators advancing new campus approvals, construction starts, land acquisitions, and dedicated power strategies.

Power availability and generation strategy remained a central theme throughout the month, as developers increasingly paired campuses with natural gas, solar, fuel cell, and potential nuclear-backed infrastructure to support large-scale AI compute growth.

CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS AND CAMPUS EXPANSION

Meta is expanding its Eagle Mountain data center campus in Utah, with satellite imagery confirming active construction activity. The expansion is supported by a new natural gas power plant being developed by Williams.

Amazon has started construction on its Hobart data center campus in Indiana. The campus is planned for six buildings totaling approximately 1.7 million square feet and roughly 400 MW of capacity. March 2026 satellite imagery confirms large-scale site clearing, marking the start of initial development.

LARGE-SCALE AI INFRASTRUCTURE AND POWER DEVELOPMENT

A proposed 2 GW data center campus in Socorro, New Mexico is being paired with a planned 10 GW solar farm and potential small modular reactor integration. The project remains early stage, with no formal application filed, though developers are targeting construction this year and a projected four-to-five-year buildout timeline.

Oracle plans to power its New Mexico data center campus using up to 2.45 GW of Bloom Energy fuel cell systems, replacing traditional turbines and diesel generators. The design would enable a single-campus microgrid while reducing NOx emissions by approximately 92%.

CAMPUS APPROVALS AND NEW DEVELOPMENT

Coweta County commissioners approved Project Sail in a 3–2 vote, enabling an 829-acre data center campus in Georgia. The project includes nine buildings totaling approximately 4.34 million square feet and roughly 900 MW of capacity, representing an estimated $1.7 billion investment led by Atlas Development.

Google has been identified as the end user behind a Georgia data center project leveraging an existing industrial site with 50 MW of in-place power, scalable to approximately 400 MW. Total investment is estimated at approximately $8 billion.

LAND ACQUISITION AND REGIONAL EXPANSION

Google has acquired a data center campus in Michigan City, Indiana from Phoenix Michigan City Investors LLC, with plans to invest approximately $832 million into the site.

Crusoe is pursuing AI data center campuses across Nolan, Stonewall, and Kent counties in West Texas, signaling a broader multi-site regional buildout strategy.

Core Scientific is scaling its development pipeline to approximately 1.5 GW, with around 1.0 GW available for lease. Initial operations are expected in 2027, supported by an additional 200 acres secured for development.

MARKET OUTLOOK

April developments show that power strategy is becoming a defining factor in U.S. AI data center expansion. Natural gas, fuel cells, solar, and potential nuclear integration are increasingly central to how large campuses are planned and financed.

At the same time, construction starts, campus approvals, and land acquisitions indicate that hyperscale operators and infrastructure developers continue to expand capacity pipelines across both established and emerging markets.

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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