Contractors Face Record Data Center Demand as AI Drives Market Expansion

BOSTON, MA — MOCA Programs, Inc. (MSI), a development providers and expertise agency, has launched a brand new market evaluation via its analysis arm, MSI Economics. The Sizing the Surge: US Information Middle Development Outlook to 2030 report presents an in-depth take a look at the forces driving report knowledge heart development throughout the nation, together with what it means for engineering, contracting, and trades professionals in one of many fastest-growing segments of nonresidential development.

Report Highlights Information Middle Development’s Unprecedented Acceleration

The 17-page report blends analyst forecasts, MSI’s proprietary capital deployment knowledge, and project-level analysis to supply a complete snapshot of the US knowledge heart development market via 2030. MSI Economics’ findings level to near-term development that’s considerably outpacing conventional long-range fashions—suggesting that relying on compound annual development charges (CAGR) alone may result in underprepared planning round labor, infrastructure, and capital.

Whereas most fashions mission 15%–30% CAGR via the last decade—with some AI-related forecasts reaching as excessive as 65%—MSI’s near-term knowledge reveals much more aggressive, front-loaded exercise already underway.

Monitoring the Actual Dimension and Affect of the Increase

MSI Economics analyzed greater than a dozen market forecasts and mixed them with knowledge on dedicated tasks, energy utility filings, and allowing pipelines. The ensuing image reveals speedy growth in knowledge heart development tied to AI coaching demand and hyperscale cloud development—tempered by rising stress on grid capability, expert labor, and long-lead tools.

Key Findings

• Contractors stay central: Contractors will proceed to seize the vast majority of spend as engineers and designers deal with fixing complicated energy and cooling challenges.

• $86 billion surge in 2026: AI-driven demand and secured energy positions will push US market development sharply increased.

• Grid constraints: Transmission interconnection timelines have stretched considerably, with gigawatt-scale tasks competing for restricted capability.

• Labor shortages: Expert workforce gaps stay a serious bottleneck throughout trades.

• Allowing delays: Web site approvals usually stretch from six to 18 months throughout constructing, environmental, and utility businesses.

• Gear lead instances: Transformers, switchgear, and mills are seeing procurement home windows so long as 80–210 weeks.

• Know-how adoption accelerating: Fast digitization of mission supply will form which corporations come out forward.

Actual-Time Information Beats Lengthy-Time period Fashions

“For stakeholders, the message is evident: relying solely on clean CAGR fashions dangers underestimating the present growth,” mentioned Brandon Michalski, MSI’s principal economist and creator of the report. “Companies should anchor their planning in real-time capital deployment, project-level knowledge, and the realities of grid interconnection queues, labor bottlenecks, and tools lead instances. Success will come to those that can steadiness near-term depth with long-term adaptability—designing tasks that meet in the present day’s necessities whereas retaining flexibility for the following wave of development.”

A Useful resource for Development and Trades Professionals

The report supplies actionable insights for corporations concerned in knowledge heart design, development, and infrastructure supply—significantly contractors navigating the intersections of energy, cooling, and digital infrastructure. It additionally serves as a reference for buyers, business analysts, and journalists monitoring the growth of US knowledge heart capability via the last decade.

To obtain the report go to mocasystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MSIDataCenterReport_Final.pdf. 

To be taught extra about MOCA Programs, go to mocasystems.com.