The Atlanta area had more data center space under construction than any other place in the United States during the first half of 2026, measured by projected electricity consumption, according to new data from real estate services firm CBRE. The milestone marks the first time Northern Virginia, long the country's largest data center cluster, has been surpassed.
CBRE reported nearly 2.9 gigawatts of data center capacity under construction in the Atlanta market. Mike Lash, an executive vice president with CBRE Data Center Solutions, said the growth reflects strong demand for data center capacity and that the current focus is on delivering the power and infrastructure needed to keep pace.
The construction boom has become a significant factor in Georgia's economy, absorbing warehouse space, prompting office relocations and shaping workforce training programs. Buckhead-based T5 Data Centers recently announced it is spinning off its construction operations into a new company called EverOn, which will lease office space in West Midtown. T5's construction revenue grew from $87 million in 2021 to nearly $1.7 billion last year.
Atlanta's data center vacancy rate stood at 1.6% as of June, tight compared with the region's broader commercial real estate market. About 80% of data center space in the market is preleased. CBRE noted that power availability, rather than tenant demand, is now the primary constraint on further construction, while community opposition has also slowed some projects nationally.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/09/atlanta-surpasses-northern-virginia-to-lead-us-in-data-center-construction/