A 40 MW data center site sits in the range where buyers have the most choice and the most risk of overpaying for paper. Plenty of listings claim 40 MW. Fewer can show a utility study for it. The ones worth a call usually have an existing energized service, a former industrial load, or a signed study at a named substation. Invariant has energized options in Texas and Oklahoma around this size.
Before you start
- 40 MW at the meter is about 31 MW of IT at a PUE of 1.3, roughly 255 AI racks or 18,400 GPUs.
- A 40 MW claim with no utility document behind it is a lead, not a site. Grade it on the five-rung evidence ladder.
- Customer substation at 69 to 230 kV, 15 to 60 acres all in.
- Energized sites at 44 MW (Texas) and 55 MW (Oklahoma) are available through Invariant now.
What 40 MW actually fits
Utilities sell facility load. Tenants buy IT load. At a PUE of 1.3, a 40 MW site leaves about 31 MW for IT. At about 120 kW per NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 rack, that is roughly 260 racks, or about 18,460 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 an AI cloud provider, a colocation developer, an HPC tenant or a mining operator.eeNews EuropeUptime Institute
| 40 MW site | What to expect |
|---|---|
| IT load at PUE 1.3 | About 31 MW |
| AI racks at 120 kW | About 260 |
| Utility service | Customer substation at 69 to 230 kV; two lines or a ring bus if the tenant needs redundancy. |
| Land | About 15 to 60 gross acres. |
| Time to power | Now to 12 months for energized brownfields; 2 to 4 years for new service in a constrained territory. |
| Documents to ask for | A load study or service agreement for 40 MW, the ramp schedule, and evidence the substation has headroom under contingency. |
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.
Grade the 40 MW claim
We sort power claims into rungs. A map with a line on it is rung 0. Proximity to a station of the right voltage is rung 1. A named MW figure at a named station is rung 2. A utility study for this load is rung 3. A signed agreement with a date, or service already energized and metered, is rung 4. Most 40 MW listings sit at rung 1 or 2. A buyer should pay for rung 3 and up.
Brownfields are the fast path
Former factories, closed mills and older data centers often hold a 40 MW service that was built decades ago. The utility relationship and the substation already exist. The work is a new load study for the changed use, an environmental check and a building plan. That usually beats a greenfield on time by a year or more.
40 MW data center sites available now
These sites from Invariant’s current inventory fit a 40 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 metro | 44 MW, +250 MW | ~50 acres, 1M sq ft | Now |
| Oklahoma | 55 MW contracted | ~80 acres | Now |
| Kentucky | 30 MW greenfield | ~16 acres, rezoned | Now |
| Iowa | 20 MW to 500 MW+ PPA site | Non-zoned | Phased |
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 40 MW sites
We search from power evidence first and land second. For a 40 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 40 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 many GPUs fit in 40 MW?
At a PUE of 1.3, 40 MW at the meter supports about 31 MW of IT, roughly 255 GB200 NVL72 racks at 120 kW, which is about 18,400 GPUs.
What voltage does a 40 MW data center need?
Typically a customer substation fed at 69 to 230 kV. The utility picks the voltage based on the nearby system and the load ramp.
Where can I find a 40 MW data center site?
Invariant lists a 44 MW Texas metro property with a path to 250 MW more, a 55 MW contracted brownfield in Oklahoma and a 30 MW Kentucky greenfield. Details and documents are shared on a call.
How does Invariant help find a 40 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 40 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.