October 2026 in data centers.

October's deal count surged 193% month-over-month to 41 transactions representing 2,006 MW of capacity, a dramatic acceleration that reflects hyperscaler procurement pivoting toward non-traditional power markets. Richland Parish led all markets with 5,000 MW across nine facilities, followed by Las Cruces at 4,500 MW in a single asset and Ashburn—the incumbent colocation stronghold—at 4,296 MW across 160 facilities. The concentration of megawatt volume outside the hyperscale-saturated Virginia corridor signals deliberate geographic diversification, likely driven by immediate power scarcity in core markets and long lead times on grid infrastructure upgrades. The month added 46 new facilities to tracked inventory while deal velocity year-over-year jumped 4,000%, indicating either data-collection maturation or a fundamental shift in M&A rhythm as capacity constraints tighten.

This pace is unsustainable but the directional signal is clear: power availability, not real estate availability, now governs deal flow. The threefold jump in deal count month-over-month while verified transaction values remain opaque suggests smaller tranches, off-market negotiation, or wholesale power-purchase bundling rather than traditional facility acquisitions—a structural shift worth monitoring. Expect the next two quarters to show either consolidation around the five markets listed above or continued geographic diffusion into secondary power nodes. The 24% month-over-month increase in AI-tool queries on our platform (12,961 calls) underscores rising demand for real-time power and interconnection data to evaluate emerging markets; that velocity will likely determine which secondary regions move from opportunistic to permanent capacity destinations.