Wyoming market leads national data center siting rankings as West and Southwest dominate best-build markets
## Cheyenne Leads National Build Rankings
Cheyenne, WY secured the #1 position in DC Hub's Data Center Power Index (DCPI) BUILD ranking as of May 14, 2026, posting an excess power score of 69.5 and a low grid constraint score of 22.5. The Wyoming market's combination of abundant wholesale power availability and minimal transmission bottlenecks positions it as the most favorable US market for new hyperscale development.
## Regional Power Landscape
The top three BUILD markets span three major ISOs. Rural SPP (Kansas) ranked #2 with a 67.2 excess score, while Allen, TX (ERCOT) claimed #3 at 65.6. Both markets share similarly low constraint scores (22.5 and 30.8 respectively), reflecting stronger grid infrastructure in less densely developed regions.
In contrast, the AVOID rankings highlight capacity pressure in legacy hubs. Northern Virginia scored just 14.5 for excess power—the lowest nationally—while maintaining a 64.2 constraint score. Mount Pleasant, WI posted the highest constraint score at 80.0, signaling severe transmission limitations despite a mid-range excess score of 55.0.
## What It Means
The DCPI excess power metric combines real-time wholesale electricity availability, grid headroom, and regulatory friction across 280+ US markets. Cheyenne's leadership reflects Wyoming's coal-to-renewables transition creating surplus capacity, favorable state policy, and WECC interconnection access.
**Source:** DC Hub Data Center Power Index (https://dchub.cloud/dcpi). Updated daily with ISO-level data from WECC, ERCOT, SPP, MISO, PJM, NYISO, and ISONE.
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