The QTS data center complex in Fayetteville, Georgia, is nearing completion and poised to consume electricity equivalent to one million U.S. households, prompting urgent infrastructure upgrades by utility Georgia Power. The project, backed by Blackstone, underscores growing pressure on regional energy grids from large-scale AI infrastructure.
- QTS data center in Fayetteville, Georgia, will consume up to 1.2 gigawatts of electricity upon completion.
- This power draw equates to the annual usage of about 1 million U.S. households.
- Georgia Power is investing $450 million in grid upgrades to support the facility.
- The project is backed by Blackstone and will house over 100,000 server racks.
- The complex is expected to increase regional electricity demand by 12% within two years.
- Renewable energy procurement is being expanded to mitigate environmental impact.
The QTS data center facility in Fayetteville, Georgia, is on track for completion in early 2026 and is expected to draw up to 1.2 gigawatts of power—enough to supply approximately 1 million average U.S. homes. This level of energy demand places significant stress on Georgia Power’s existing grid capacity, especially in the state’s rapidly expanding tech corridor. The complex, developed by QTS, a real estate and infrastructure firm supported by Blackstone, is one of the largest dedicated AI and cloud computing facilities in the Southeastern U.S. The facility’s power requirements reflect the broader trend of AI-driven data centers becoming major consumers of electricity. QTS’s project alone is projected to increase regional electricity demand by nearly 12% over the next two years. Georgia Power has already initiated a $450 million infrastructure upgrade program, including new substations and high-voltage transmission lines, to accommodate the load. The utility also plans to expand renewable energy procurement to offset carbon emissions tied to the complex’s operations. Investors and regulators are closely watching the project as a bellwether for how utilities and private developers manage the energy demands of next-generation digital infrastructure. The Fayetteville site is expected to house over 100,000 server racks, serving major cloud providers and AI firms seeking low-latency access to high-performance computing resources. The facility’s development highlights the escalating interdependence between AI expansion and energy grid modernization.