At 20 MW most sites need their own substation, and that changes the search. You are no longer looking for a building with a big service; you are looking for a transmission or sub-transmission line with room, land next to it, and a utility willing to study the load. Energized sites in the 15 to 20 MW range exist, mostly from mining and industrial users, and they are the fastest path. Invariant lists several and tracks more that are not public.
Before you start
- 20 MW at the meter is about 15 MW of IT at a PUE of 1.3, roughly 128 AI racks at 120 kW, or 9,200 GPUs.
- Plan for a customer substation on a 69 to 138 kV line. About 2.5 to 3 acres for the substation alone is a useful starting figure.
- Energized 15 to 20 MW sites are live now in Texas, North Carolina and North Dakota in our inventory.
- Ask for a load study for 20 MW at the named point of service. A will-serve letter alone does not reserve capacity.
What 20 MW actually fits
Utilities sell facility load. Tenants buy IT load. At a PUE of 1.3, a 20 MW site leaves about 15 MW for IT. At about 120 kW per NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 rack, that is roughly 130 racks, or about 9,230 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 neocloud cluster, an AI inference build, a colocation hall or a mid-size mining facility.eeNews Europe
| 20 MW site | What to expect |
|---|---|
| IT load at PUE 1.3 | About 15 MW |
| AI racks at 120 kW | About 130 |
| Utility service | Customer substation fed at 69 to 138 kV, or several dedicated 34.5 kV feeders in some service territories. |
| Land | About 8 to 30 acres, including roughly 2.5 to 3 acres for the substation. |
| Time to power | Now for energized sites. 18 to 36 months for new service with a substation, depending on utility queue and transformer delivery. |
| Documents to ask for | A load study or facilities study for 20 MW, a cost estimate for the substation, and any construction or service agreement with the energization date. |
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.
Substation land and the 20 MW threshold
PSE&G’s data center guidance lists about 2.5 acres of equipment space for a customer substation at 69, 138 or 230 kV. ComEd’s 2026 guidelines put a 138 kV interconnection substation at about 3.1 acres, before stormwater detention. At 20 MW those acres are a real share of the site, and the substation has to sit near the line, reachable for future circuits.ComEd via PJMPSE&G
Studies start to cost money at this size too. AEP Ohio, for example, routes data center requests of 25 MW and up through a formal process with study fees. Utilities ask for site control first, which is why a completed study is worth more than any map.AEP Ohio
Energized 15 to 20 MW sites
The fastest 20 MW sites are ones already drawing power. A former mining yard or a closed industrial plant with an active service can often take an AI or HPC tenant in months, subject to a utility review of the new use. Check whether the existing contract allows the new load profile, and whether the service is firm.
20 MW data center sites available now
These sites from Invariant’s current inventory fit a 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (Houston load zone) | 17 MW greenfield | ~2 acres | 4 to 6 months |
| North Carolina | 18 MW live, path past 100 MW | ~200 acres | Now |
| North Dakota | 15 MW off-grid, managed containers | Various | Now |
| Iowa | 20 MW to 500 MW+ PPA site | Non-zoned | Phased |
| Oregon | 10 MW hydro, to 100 MW+ | Lease + land option | Now |
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 20 MW sites
We search from power evidence first and land second. For a 20 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 20 MW sites that fit, including ones that are not on this page.
Browse data center sites by size and state
Questions that come up.
Does a 20 MW data center need its own substation?
Usually yes. Most utilities serve 20 MW from a dedicated customer substation on a 69 to 138 kV line. Some territories serve it from several 34.5 kV feeders instead.
How long does it take to get 20 MW for a data center?
Energized sites can be live in months. New service with a substation commonly takes 18 to 36 months, longer where the transmission line or transformer supply is constrained.
Where can I find a 20 MW data center site?
Invariant lists a 17 MW greenfield in the Houston load zone, an 18 MW live campus in North Carolina with a path past 100 MW, a 15 MW off-grid site in North Dakota and an Iowa site that starts at 20 MW. Details are shared on a call.
How does Invariant help find a 20 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 20 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.