Converting vacant US office space into data centers: A feasibility analysis
edgarpavlovsky · x · 2026-08-22
This post explores the feasibility of converting the increasing amount of vacant office space in US cities into data centers. There are roughly 1.09 billion square feet of vacant office space across major US markets. While most require heavy infrastructure rework, a subset shows potential.
Napkin Math Estimates:
- Site size: 250K sq. ft.
- IT capacity: 20–30 MW/site
- Conversion cost: $140–300M/site
- PUE: 1.3
Pros: Utilizes existing urban noise, boosts building utilization, reduces rural development pressure. Major Hurdle: Power availability.
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