Global Data Centers to Exceed 12,000 by 2035 as AI Capacity Hits 94.8 GW: ABI Research
ABI Research forecasts global data center facilities will rise from 8,821 in 2026 to over 12,000 by 2035, driven by AI capacity. It projects dedicated AI data center capacity of 43.6 GW by 2031 and 94.8 GW by 2035. AWS, Meta and Microsoft lead US capacity, while Equinix, QTS, Digital Realty and CyrusOne lead colocation by active IT power.
How this was made
The 30-second read
Why it matters
The main tradable takeaway is directional: AI capacity growth and infrastructure bottlenecks (optical networking, cooling, storage) could support capex beneficiaries. However, the article is not a company-specific catalyst and lacks new guidance, contracts, or regulatory actions.
Market read
Traders can use the forecast to frame AI infrastructure demand and bottlenecks, but the article does not provide new, actionable company-level catalysts.
What to watch
The article does not quantify which vendors win incremental spend, and it mixes site counts with capacity, which can obscure timing for specific operators and suppliers.
Background
ABI Research’s August 2026 report frames data center growth as increasingly driven by AI workloads, with category shifts toward colocation and neoclouds and emerging orbital computing.
Ticker impact
Article cites AWS as one of the top US data center operators by active IT capacity, each running more than 1 GW of power.
Low near-term impact; any move would likely track broader AI/data-center sentiment rather than a fresh AMZN catalyst.
The piece provides market forecasts and relative rankings, not new AWS guidance, contracts, or operational changes.
Article names Meta as a leading US data center operator by active IT capacity, each company operating more than 1 GW of data center power.
Limited single-name trading signal; effects are more sector-level than company-specific.
The only company-specific detail is ranking and capacity scale, with no incremental Meta disclosure.
Article lists Microsoft as one of the three largest US data center operators by active IT capacity, each operating more than 1 GW of power.
Negligible to low; likely sentiment-driven rather than catalyst-driven.
ABI forecasts and market structure are informative, but the article does not report new Microsoft guidance, deals, or regulatory outcomes.
Equinix is cited as a leading colocation operator with 995 MW of data center power capacity in the US.
Low; any reaction would be tied to broader data-center capex expectations.
The figure is descriptive and forecast-oriented, not a fresh EQIX operational or financial update.
Digital Realty is cited with 686 MW of active US data center power capacity, near the top of colocation operators.
Negligible to low near-term impact.
This is a forecast and ranking, not a new DLR event.
CyrusOne is cited with 674 MW of active US data center power capacity among leading colocation companies.
Low; any trading impact would be indirect via sector sentiment.
No new CONE guidance, deals, or regulatory developments are reported.
Article names CoreWeave as a neocloud provider complementing public cloud platforms in AI and sovereign cloud capacity.
Low; likely no immediate catalyst for CRWV from this ABI market outlook alone.
The article provides category-level forecasts and examples, without new CRWV-specific metrics or actions.
Article lists Nebius as a neocloud provider complementing major public cloud platforms for AI and sovereign cloud capacity.
Negligible to low near-term impact.
The article is largely a market forecast; Nebius is only cited as an example.
Market effects
Supports a multi-year AI infrastructure buildout thesis, highlighting optical networking, cooling, power delivery, and storage constraints as bottlenecks.
Forecasts North America overtaking Europe in data center sites by 2035, while Europe’s hyperscale sites decline but active capacity rises sharply.
Reinforces global AI capacity growth and the shift toward distributed AI training clusters requiring high-capacity optical links.
Counterpoint
Forecast-heavy research may not translate into near-term earnings revisions; capacity growth can be constrained by power, permitting, and storage supply, delaying monetization.
Key entities
- research_firmABI Research
Provides the forecast figures and strategic priorities cited throughout the article.
- companyAWS
Named as a top US data center operator by active IT capacity.
- companyMeta
Named as a top US data center operator by active IT capacity.
- companyMicrosoft
Named as a top US data center operator by active IT capacity.
- companyEquinix
Cited with 995 MW of active US colocation power capacity.
