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The World’s Largest Data Centers: Power Capacity vs. Campus Size

Colossus 2 leads Epoch AI’s September 2026 tracked AI-data-center ranking by estimated current IT power, while Meta Hyperion tops the cited campus-area examples.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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By estimated current IT power, Colossus 2 in Memphis leads the large AI data centers tracked by Epoch AI, at about 946 megawatts (MW). That does not make it the largest by land area, nor does it mean it continuously uses 946 MW of electricity. The answer depends on whether “largest” means current computing-power capacity, planned capacity, or the area of an entire campus.

Which data center is the biggest by current power capacity?

Epoch AI’s ranking, updated September 24, 2026, estimates available current IT power for tracked AI facilities. On that measure, Colossus 2 leads at about 946 MW. The figures are estimates, not disclosed specifications, and describe capacity rather than average electricity consumption.

Tracked AI facility Estimated current IT power
Colossus 2, Memphis About 946 MW
Anthropic-Amazon New Carlisle About 910 MW
Microsoft Fairwater Atlanta About 636 MW
Meta Prometheus About 496 MW
OpenAI Stargate Abilene About 421 MW

These are Epoch AI estimates from its September 24, 2026 ranking of large AI data centers. Epoch AI says around 80% of its estimates fall within a factor of 1.4 of the true value, so the ordering and figures should be read as approximate rather than exact measurements.

What IT power means

IT power is the capacity available to computing hardware. It is not the same as total facility power, which also accounts for overhead such as cooling, and neither figure tells you how much electricity a site uses continuously. Actual consumption varies with operation and utilization. Comparing an IT-power estimate with a total-facility-power claim would mix different measures.

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Which facilities are largest when planned capacity is included?

Planned end-state capacity changes the ranking. Microsoft Fairwater Wisconsin is estimated at 2,263 MW of projected IT power, with completion projected for 2028. That is a planned buildout, not current operating capacity.

Facility Projected end-state IT power Projected completion
Microsoft Fairwater Wisconsin 2,263 MW 2028
Anthropic-Amazon New Carlisle 1,925 MW 2028
OpenAI Stargate New Mexico 1,750 MW 2028
Meta Hyperion 1,632 MW 2028
Colossus 2 1,531 MW 2027

These are Epoch AI projections, not current capacities. They reflect planned end states and can change as projects are built out.

Which data center campuses cover the most land?

Land area gives a different answer from power capacity. Epoch AI’s campus measurements put Meta Hyperion at about 11.0 square kilometres (km²), OpenAI Stargate Abilene at about 3.5 km² and Colossus in Memphis at about 0.39 km².

Campus Estimated whole-site area
Meta Hyperion About 11.0 km²
OpenAI Stargate Abilene About 3.5 km²
Colossus, Memphis About 0.39 km²

Epoch AI’s 2025 campus-area analysis describes Hyperion as about 4.2 square miles and says its main-building area was not yet known. The whole-site figures may include supporting power and cooling systems, parking, access roads and adjacent infrastructure; they do not represent data-hall floor area. Boundaries are approximate, not surveyed property lines, and the measured footprint may include directly adjacent infrastructure while excluding more distant assets such as a connected power plant. Areas can change as plans and buildout change.

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Why different sources give different “biggest” claims

First check what the number measures and what is being counted. A campus with multiple buildings is not directly comparable to one building; current capacity is not planned capacity; IT power is not total facility power; and a land footprint is not usable data-hall area. Also distinguish independent estimates from company-reported figures.

Helios illustrates the capacity-label problem

Galaxy Digital’s Q2 2026 investor presentation, filed with the SEC, describes its Helios campus as more than 2,200 acres, with 1,630 MW of approved total power capacity and more than 3,600 MW of potential power capacity. These are company-reported categories. They are not directly interchangeable with Epoch AI’s estimated IT-power figures, so they do not establish that Helios outranks the facilities in the IT-power table.

When evaluating another “largest” claim, check these distinctions before comparing numbers:

  • Metric: IT power, total facility power or land area.
  • Status: operating capacity or projected buildout, including its expected date.
  • Scope: one building or a multi-building campus.
  • Evidence: independent estimate, public disclosure or company-reported capacity category.
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How broad is the ranking?

Epoch AI’s list is a ranking of tracked large AI data centers, not a census of every data center worldwide. Its coverage focuses on facilities that became operational in 2024 or later, with exceptions, and typically uses an approximately 100 MW full-buildout threshold; the threshold is lower outside the United States. The source also says its coverage is not comprehensive. Accordingly, its September 2026 leader is the largest by estimated current IT power within that tracked comparison, not a definitive universal winner across every data-center type, age and measurement method.

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