{"generated_at":"2026-10-20T09:25:14.226776+00:00","key_stats":{"computed":"2026-10-20T09:18:26.254322+00:00","constraint":56,"dcpi_score":21.7,"excess":38,"facility_count":124,"mw_reporting_count":14,"name":"Columbus","recent_deals":[{"buyer":"Meta","date":null,"mw":null,"seller":null,"value":null},{"buyer":"Duos Technologies","date":null,"mw":null,"seller":null,"value":15.0}],"slug":"columbus","state":"OH","top_operators":[{"count":11,"name":"Google"},{"count":9,"name":"Amazon Web Services"},{"count":8,"name":"Unknown"},{"count":6,"name":""},{"count":6,"name":"Cologix"}],"total_mw":2179.0,"verdict":"AVOID"},"model":"claude-haiku-4-5","name":"Columbus","narrative_md":"Columbus hosts 124 tracked facilities across 2,179 MW of total capacity, anchored by hyperscalers Google (11 facilities) and Amazon Web Services (9 facilities), with regional operator Cologix holding a secondary position at 6 sites. The market's infrastructure profile reveals acute power constraints: the DCPI constraint score of 56/100 signals meaningful grid limitations, while the excess-power rating of 38/100 indicates insufficient reserve margin to absorb incremental demand. This combination creates a hard ceiling on near-term expansion economics.\n\nThe AVOID verdict reflects a market fundamentally constrained by power availability rather than demand. Investors and operators pursuing acquisition or build-to-suit strategies should treat Columbus as a non-starter for capacity-focused deployments. New entrants face dual headwinds: limited grid headroom forces costly and time-consuming infrastructure upgrades, while existing operators control most prime real estate. Brownfield expansion at established sites remains theoretically possible but requires pre-negotiated power allocations that are unlikely to materialize at scale. Capital deployed here carries execution risk that peers in less-constrained geographies do not.\n\nRecent deal activity underscores selective, small-scale interest rather than confidence. Duos Technologies acquired a Columbus data center property for $15 million with a potential $15 million earnout, a modest transaction that reflects opportunistic positioning rather than platform ambition. The absence of large hyperscaler acquisitions in Columbus\u2014contrasted with reported activity elsewhere in Ohio\u2014suggests that Google, AWS, and Meta have deprioritized Columbus greenfield investment. Cologix's presence as the largest independent operator provides some counterbalance to hyperscaler dominance, but six facilities is insufficient to drive market-wide momentum. The operator hierarchy remains stable, with no signs of aggressive M&A or capacity consolidation.\n\nWater-use scrutiny from Columbus city council adds a secondary regulatory headwind that compounds power limitations. Forward observers should monitor whether regional power infrastructure upgrades materialize within the next 18\u201324 months, as they would be necessary (though not sufficient) to reposition Columbus as viable for institutional capital.","slug":"columbus","word_count":306}