# DC Hub — Q4 2026 Data Center Energy Report
_Live DCPI snapshot, refreshed daily._ [Full report](https://dchub.cloud/reports/energy/quarterly) · [JSON](https://dchub.cloud/api/v1/reports/energy/quarterly) · CC-BY-4.0

## Executive summary
_auto-generated · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · 2026-10-11_

The power map reveals a stark bifurcation: only 37 of 331 markets merit BUILD verdicts, while 222 carry AVOID ratings. SPP emerges as the sole bright spot with 100% build-eligible scoring and a 16.4-month average time-to-power, anchored by North Kansas City's 71.5 composite and 13-month TTP. ERCOT's Midland–Odessa (84.2 composite, 9.6 months TTP) ranks as the single strongest opportunity, but ERCOT's 47.4% build rate and 46.5% average constraint signal bifurcated performance. The constraint story is unambiguous: NYISO (54.8), PJM's McLean corridor (49.9), and CAISO (51.4 average constraint) are functionally off-limits. Outside North America, NORDPOOL's Copenhagen and Helsinki both exceed 50.0 constraint scores. The verdict distribution—67% AVOID—is the quarter's dominant signal: power scarcity, not abundance, is now the baseline assumption.

The next two quarters will see power availability tighten further. ERCOT's large-load interconnection queue stands at 474 GW, with data centers claiming 90% of that demand (426 GW); this queue depth, combined with ERCOT's 31.8-month average TTP, means connection windows are effectively closing even as supply appears plentiful on paper. CAISO's 40.9-month TTP and MISO's nascent build rate (2.6%) confirm that hyperscaler demand has already overwhelmed queue capacity in grid-constrained regions. Curtailment and TTP creep are no longer lagging indicators—they are structural constraints. Markets outside the top BUILD tier should expect 12–18 months of additional friction on interconnection timelines.

Monitor SPP aggressively through Q1 2027; North Kansas City's 13-month TTP and 100% regional build eligibility make it the tightest bandwidth play, though CPP capacity will tighten if multiple large hyperscalers commit. ERCOT's Midland–Odessa window remains open but will close rapidly once ERCOT's large-load queue processes at scale; lock sites within the next 90 days if considering ERCOT exposure. Finally, watch WECC's Cheyenne market (10.8 months TTP, 74.8 composite) as a secondary option, though the ISO's 17.6% build rate and 38.3% average constraint suggest limited runway. CAISO and PJM should be treated as long-cycle plays only; new sites greenlit there today face 40+ month interconnection horizons.

## DCPI verdict distribution
- **331 markets scored**
- **BUILD**: 37 (11%)
- **CAUTION**: 72 (22%)
- **AVOID**: 222 (67%)
- **LOW_SIGNAL**: 0 (0%)

## Top BUILD markets
- **Midland–Odessa** (ERCOT) · composite 84/100, TTP 10mo · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/midland-tx)
- **Williston, ND** (MISO) · composite 77/100, TTP 8mo · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/williston-nd)
- **Cheyenne** (WECC) · composite 75/100, TTP 11mo · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/cheyenne)
- **North Kansas City** (SPP) · composite 72/100, TTP 13mo · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/north-kansas-city)
- **Montréal** (HQ) · composite 70/100, TTP 8mo · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/montreal)
- **Oklahoma City** (SPP) · composite 69/100, TTP 21mo · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/oklahoma-city)
- **Gilbert** (WECC) · composite 69/100, TTP 11mo · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/gilbert)
- **Kansas City** (SPP) · composite 69/100, TTP 16mo · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/kansas-city)
- **Tucson** (WECC) · composite 68/100, TTP 11mo · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/tucson)
- **Scottsdale** (WECC) · composite 68/100, TTP 11mo · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/scottsdale)

## Top AVOID markets
- **New York** (NYISO) · constraint 55/100 · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/new-york)
- **Copenhagen** (NORDPOOL) · constraint 51/100 · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/copenhagen)
- **Helsinki** (NORDPOOL) · constraint 50/100 · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/helsinki)
- **Jakarta** (PLN) · constraint 50/100 · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/jakarta)
- **McLean** (PJM) · constraint 50/100 · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/mclean)
- **Chester** (PJM) · constraint 49/100 · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/chester)
- **Oslo** (NORDPOOL) · constraint 48/100 · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/oslo)
- **Orangeburg** (NYISO) · constraint 48/100 · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/orangeburg)
- **Staten Island** (NYISO) · constraint 48/100 · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/staten-island)
- **Bangkok** (EGAT) · constraint 47/100 · [detail](https://dchub.cloud/dcpi/bangkok)

## ISO health rollup
| ISO | Markets | BUILD % | Avg Excess | Avg Constraint | Avg TTP (mo) |
|-----|---------|---------|------------|----------------|--------------|
| SPP | 11 | 100% | 70 | 37 | 16 |
| HQ | 2 | 50% | 57 | 27 | 10 |
| ERCOT | 19 | 47% | 66 | 46 | 32 |
| CAISO | 14 | 43% | 69 | 51 | 41 |
| WECC | 51 | 18% | 56 | 38 | 15 |
| MISO | 38 | 3% | 48 | 40 | 20 |
| PJM | 9 | 0% | 36 | 36 | 20 |
| MH | 1 | 0% | 50 | 20 | 8 |
| NORDPOOL | 4 | 0% | 52 | 48 | 22 |
| CEN | 1 | 0% | 54 | 49 | 30 |

## Interconnection queue snapshot
- **US generation interconnection queues**: 1,117.7 GW of requested generation
  - ERCOT: 454.5 GW
  - MISO: 243.5 GW
  - SPP: 186.3 GW
  - PJM: 135.1 GW
  - CAISO: 73.8 GW
- **ERCOT large-load (demand) queue**: 474.0 GW, ~90% data centers; a separate queue, not included in the generation total

## Attribution


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_Generated 2026-10-11 00:31:07 UTC · [/api/v1/reports/energy/quarterly](https://dchub.cloud/api/v1/reports/energy/quarterly) · [/llms.txt](https://dchub.cloud/llms.txt)_