DC Hub DCPI flags Montréal (QC), La Vista (NE), and Lenexa (KS) as top-tier expansion opportunities; Dublin, London, Amsterdam earn AVOID signals
## Highlights
Montréal, QC climbed to the top of this week's BUILD-rated markets with a **65.2 Excess Power score** and a low 25.6 Grid Constraint rating, signaling exceptional headroom for data center expansion. The Hydro-Québec (HQ) ISO market is now the single strongest grid-backed opportunity in North America, according to DC Hub's Data Center Power Index (DCPI).
Two SPP markets join Montréal in the top tier: **La Vista, NE** and **Lenexa, KS** both posted **58.2 Excess Power scores** with 32.7 Constraint ratings. The SPP footprint continues to attract hyperscale and AI infrastructure developers seeking low-cost, low-constraint power corridors.
## Markets to Avoid
Dublin, OH (PJM), London, UK (NGESO), and Amsterdam, NL (ENTSOE-NL) earned **AVOID** signals this week. Dublin posted a 72.5 Grid Constraint score against just 22.4 Excess Power. London and Amsterdam remain among the most constrained markets globally, with Constraint scores above 70 and Excess Power below 14.
## What It Means
Developers targeting Q3/Q4 2026 site selection should prioritize HQ and SPP markets. The gap between BUILD and AVOID markets widened this week: top markets now offer **3x to 5x** the grid headroom of Europe's tier-1 hubs. Platform intelligence shows 233 markets now tracked across 170+ countries.
## Methodology
The DC Hub DCPI scores 21,000+ data center facilities and 233 markets daily using live utility capacity data, substation load forecasts, ISO queue analysis, and AI-parsed facility pipelines. Excess Power and Grid Constraint indices range 0-100.
**Source:** DC Hub Data Center Power Index (https://dchub.cloud/dcpi). Updated daily.
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