10 MW is the most common first ask we hear from AI inference companies and neoclouds, and it sits on an awkward line. It is too big for most existing commercial services and too small for most utilities to prioritize like a hyperscale load. The sites that work at 10 MW are ones where the substation capacity already exists: built Tier III rooms, energized mining sites, hydro and plant-adjacent sites, and industrial brownfields. Invariant lists several now and finds others off-market.
Before you start
- 10 MW at the meter is about 7.7 MW of IT at a PUE of 1.3, roughly 64 AI racks at 120 kW, about 4,600 GPUs.
- Expect either two or more dedicated distribution feeders or a small customer substation on a 69 to 138 kV line.
- The fastest 10 MW is a built facility or an energized site. New service often takes 12 to 24 months and longer where a substation is needed.
- Land: 3 to 15 acres for most builds.
What 10 MW actually fits
Utilities sell facility load. Tenants buy IT load. At a PUE of 1.3, a 10 MW site leaves about 7.7 MW for IT. At about 120 kW per NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 rack, that is roughly 64 racks, or about 4,620 GPUs. Air-cooled designs at 30 to 50 kW per rack fit more racks and fewer GPUs per MW. Typical buyers at this size are a GPU inference cluster, a regional colocation facility, a neocloud pod or a mining operation.eeNews EuropeUptime Institute
| 10 MW site | What to expect |
|---|---|
| IT load at PUE 1.3 | About 7.7 MW |
| AI racks at 120 kW | About 64 |
| Utility service | Dedicated 12.47 to 34.5 kV feeders, or a customer substation on a 69 to 138 kV line. |
| Land | About 3 to 15 acres, depending on stories, cooling type and generator yards. |
| Time to power | Now for built or energized sites. 12 to 24 months is common for new service where the substation has room, more where it does not. |
| Documents to ask for | A will-serve letter naming MW and a point of service at minimum; a load study or service agreement for anything you plan to finance. |
These ranges are Invariant’s working figures from sites we have screened. They are not published standards, and individual utilities and designs land outside them.
What a 10 MW buyer should screen for
Start with the substation. Ask the utility, or ask us, whether the station that would serve the site has 10 MW of withdrawal headroom today and under contingency. In a 2025 analysis of ERCOT, Paces found only about 17% of substations near suitable land had positive withdrawal headroom. Proximity alone means little.Paces
Then check redundancy. Many 10 MW sites have one feeder. That is fine for mining and risky for a customer contract with a service level. A second feeder from a different substation bus can cost more than the land.
Built facilities versus greenfield at 10 MW
Buying or leasing a built 10 MW facility skips the utility queue and most permitting. You pay for it in price per MW and in being stuck with the cooling design. Greenfield at 10 MW rarely pencils unless the power is already there. That is why most 10 MW deals we close start from an energized site or an existing building.
10 MW data center sites available now
These sites from Invariant’s current inventory fit a 10 MW requirement, either at that size today or with a phase that covers it. Specs are as marketed by the owner and are checked against utility documents before any introduction.
| Region | Power | Land | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 10 MW hydro, to 100 MW+ | Lease + land option | Now |
| US (3 facilities) | Tier III data centers, 3.5 to 10 MW | Built | Now |
| Kentucky | Seven turnkey sites, 0.5 to 8 MW | Mostly owned | Now |
| North Dakota | 15 MW off-grid, managed containers | Various | Now |
| Texas (Houston load zone) | 17 MW greenfield | ~2 acres | 4 to 6 months |
| US | 20 earlier listings, 0.25 to 30 MW | Various | Status on a call |
Exact locations, the utility documents behind each MW figure and pricing are shared on a call. We also hold sites that are not listed publicly; owners ask for discretion and a site that is shopped everywhere loses value.
How Invariant finds 10 MW sites
We search from power evidence first and land second. For a 10 MW request we start with stations and services that can carry the load, kill anything already claimed, operating for someone else, contaminated or under a moratorium, and only then look at parcels. Each surviving site is graded A (documented power), B (a named power path with a date) or C (land near capacity), with the one document that would move it up a tier.
Tell us the MW, the states you would consider and the date you need power. We send the 10 MW sites that fit, including ones that are not on this page.
Browse data center sites by size and state
Questions that come up.
How much land does a 10 MW data center need?
Roughly 3 to 15 gross acres. Multi-story builds and liquid-cooled AI halls sit at the low end; single-story campuses with generator yards and buffers sit at the high end. A containerized mining site of 10 MW can fit on 2 to 5 acres.
How long does it take to get 10 MW of power for a data center?
If the site is energized or a built facility, immediately. For new service with substation headroom, 12 to 24 months is common. If the substation needs a new transformer or the line needs upgrades, expect longer.
How many GPUs can a 10 MW data center run?
About 4,600 Blackwell-class GPUs in GB200 NVL72 racks at a PUE of 1.3, or roughly 64 racks at 120 kW. Lower-density air-cooled designs fit fewer GPUs per MW.
How does Invariant help find a 10 MW data center site?
Invariant keeps a live inventory of US powered sites, screens each one against utility documents, and matches buyers to sites by MW, state and energization date. Book a call or call (628) 220-8972 with your 10 MW requirement and we send matching sites, including off-market ones.
Sources and references.
Site specifications are as marketed by the seller and are checked against utility documents before any introduction. Public sources checked on . The location, equipment, and operating plan determine which requirements apply to a project.