At 500 MW the site is a grid project first and a real estate deal second. Few US substations can take 500 MW without new transmission, so most 500 MW sites combine a large grid commitment with on-site generation or a retired plant’s infrastructure. Invariant tracks 500 MW candidates across PJM, MISO, SPP and the West, and currently lists a Pennsylvania site with 200 MW of gas plus 300 MW of grid, an Iowa site scaling past 500 MW and a 375 MW Nevada site.
Before you start
- 500 MW at the meter is about 385 MW of IT at a PUE of 1.3, roughly 3,200 AI racks at 120 kW, about 230,000 GPUs.
- Expect 345 or 500 kV service, multiple lines, and transmission upgrades paid for or secured by the customer.
- Gas plus grid is the common structure: on-site generation for the first phases, grid for the rest.
- Land: 250 to 750 gross acres, more if solar or generation sits on site.
What 500 MW actually fits
Utilities sell facility load. Tenants buy IT load. At a PUE of 1.3, a 500 MW site leaves about 380 MW for IT. At about 120 kW per NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 rack, that is roughly 3,210 racks, or about 230,770 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 hyperscaler, a frontier AI lab or a large infrastructure developer.eeNews Europe
| 500 MW site | What to expect |
|---|---|
| IT load at PUE 1.3 | About 380 MW |
| AI racks at 120 kW | About 3,210 |
| Utility service | 345 to 500 kV, a new switching station and multiple transmission lines; sometimes a new generator interconnection too. |
| Land | About 250 to 750 gross acres. |
| Time to power | Phased over 2 to 5 years even on the best sites. |
| Documents to ask for | Studies for the full load and each phase, transmission upgrade cost allocation, gas supply agreements if on-site generation is used, and the air permit path. |
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.
How 500 MW campuses get built
Look at the public AI campuses. Crusoe’s Abilene campus reached 1.2 GW with a grid interconnection plus on-site batteries, solar and backup gas turbines. Meta’s Hyperion campus in Louisiana started as a 2 GW plan and expanded to 5 GW. Both paired land with dedicated generation. A 500 MW buyer should expect a similar mix.CrusoeBaxtel
Retired plants at 500 MW
A retired coal or gas plant can hold a switchyard, transmission rights of way and hundreds of acres. In PJM and MISO, replacement generation can reuse a retiring unit’s interconnection rights on set terms. The load side still needs its own study. Check coal ash, groundwater and recorded covenants before counting acres.PJM Inside Lines
500 MW data center sites available now
These sites from Invariant’s current inventory fit a 500 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 200 MW BTM gas + 300 MW grid | 120 ready acres | Phased |
| Iowa | 20 MW to 500 MW+ PPA site | Non-zoned | Phased |
| Nevada | 375 MW | ~350 acres | 2027 to 2028 |
| Pennsylvania | 350 MW, signed utility service agreement | Former plant campus, lease | 50 MW end 2026, 300 MW end 2027 |
| Arizona | 1.5 GW Phase 1 | 15,000+ acres | Grid 2027 |
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 500 MW sites
We search from power evidence first and land second. For a 500 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 500 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 acres does a 500 MW data center need?
Roughly 250 to 750 gross acres for the campus. On-site generation and solar can push that much higher.
Can a 500 MW data center run on behind-the-meter power?
Partly. Many large campuses use on-site gas or batteries for early phases while the grid connection is built. Turbine supply, pipeline capacity and air permits set the pace.
Where can I find a 500 MW data center site?
Invariant lists a Pennsylvania site with 200 MW of behind-the-meter gas and 300 MW of grid, an Iowa site scaling to 500 MW and beyond, a 375 MW Nevada site and a 350 MW Pennsylvania campus with a signed service agreement. Details on a call.
How does Invariant help find a 500 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 500 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.
- CrusoeCrusoe expands AI data center campus in Abilene to 1.2 gigawatts ↗
- Utility DiveGE Vernova gas turbine backlog climbs to 116 GW ↗
- BaxtelMeta expands Louisiana data center campus to 5 GW ↗
- eeNews EuropeNvidia offers 120 kW liquid-cooled Blackwell rack as industry standard ↗
- PJM Inside LinesFERC approves streamlined process to replace retiring facilities ↗