Tennessee has about sixty data centers in total (this count includes those already built and operating as well as some under construction). Most of these are smaller facilities. There are roughly ten to fifteen medium or larger ones with significant power needs that stand out in reports. There are about four to six major projects that are either in progress or proposed, led by the very large ones.
Data centers are large buildings packed with computer servers that store and process digital information for the internet, cloud services, and artificial intelligence. They require a lot of electricity, measured in megawatts (one megawatt is enough power for roughly eight hundred to one thousand average homes), and water (mainly for cooling the hot servers through systems that often evaporate water, using hundreds of thousands to millions of gallons per day depending on size and efficiency).
Here is a breakdown by size. Numbers are based on the most recent public reports as of mid-2026 and focus on concrete figures when available.
Small Data Centers (generally using under ten megawatts of power)
These support everyday local computing, website hosting, or smaller business needs.
Power usage: One to five megawatts (enough electricity for hundreds to a few thousand homes).
Water usage: Tens of thousands to a few hundred thousand gallons per day (similar to a few large office buildings or a small neighborhood).
Land usage: Often one to ten acres.
- Already built: The majority of Tennessee’s roughly sixty data centers fall here. Examples include many sites from companies like Flexential, Tierpoint, and Lumen in Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Knoxville (most use six megawatts or less). https://www.datacentermap.com/usa/tennessee/
- In progress: Limited specific new small projects are highlighted; expansions of existing sites are common.
- Proposed: A few smaller additions in various areas, but details are limited.
Note: even the small ones can have loud noise pollution
Medium Data Centers (generally using ten to fifty megawatts of power)
These handle more regional or growing tech demands.
Power usage: Ten to fifty megawatts (enough for thousands of homes).
Water usage: Hundreds of thousands to one or two million gallons per day (comparable to a small town or several large facilities). Many use closed-loop or water-efficient cooling. But even that type of cooling loses water through evaporation and causes pollution problems.
Land usage: Typically ten to fifty acres.
- Already built: Several in the Nashville area, including a Radius facility around twenty megawatts. https://www.wsmv.com/2026/06/11/us-leads-world-data-centers-nearly-half-new-ones-are-headed-south-heres-what-know/
- In progress:
- DC Blox near the Nashville Zoo: First building about ten megawatts on roughly twenty-four acres; second building planned at about forty megawatts (total around fifty megawatts). https://www.wsmv.com/2026/06/09/data-center-proposal-near-nashville-zoo-includes-second-building-three-times-larger-than-first/
- Radius Nashville project: Twelve megawatts on twelve acres, expected online in 2026. https://cleanview.co/data-centers/tennessee
- Proposed: Fisk University site in Nashville: Thirty megawatts on about five acres. A twenty-five megawatt project in McMinnville (Warren County), expected completion around 2028. https://www.wsmv.com/2026/06/11/us-leads-world-data-centers-nearly-half-new-ones-are-headed-south-heres-what-know/
Large or Hyperscale Data Centers (generally using one hundred megawatts or more)
These are massive facilities built for big technology companies and artificial intelligence training. They dominate new growth and resource use.
Power usage: One hundred to three hundred megawatts or higher (enough for tens or hundreds of thousands of homes; some plans reach over one thousand megawatts).
Water usage: One to five million gallons or more per day (enough for a town of ten thousand to fifty thousand people). Many include recycling or on-site power generation.
Land usage: One hundred to nine hundred acres or more for full campuses (hundreds of football fields in size).
- Already built:
- Meta campus in Gallatin (Sumner County): About three hundred megawatts, on roughly eight hundred to nine hundred acres with over one point seven million square feet of buildings. https://www.dpr.com/projects/facebook-gallatin-data-center
- xAI Colossus 1 in Memphis (Shelby County): Around one hundred fifty to three hundred megawatts. https://cleanview.co/data-centers/tennessee
- In progress: xAI Colossus expansions in Memphis area (up to one thousand five hundred sixty-three megawatts planned total for the site). Meta expansions in Gallatin. https://cleanview.co/data-centers/tennessee
- Proposed: Cielo project in Clarksville (Montgomery County): About three hundred fifty megawatts. https://cleanview.co/data-centers/tennessee
Summary :
- Total data centers in Tennessee: About sixty.
- Small data centers: Roughly forty-five to fifty (most of the total).
- Medium data centers: About five to ten notable ones.
- Large or hyperscale data centers: Two to four major ones driving most new power demand.
- Total built and operating: Around fifty to fifty-five of the sixty.
- Total in progress or under construction: Several key expansions (including xAI and Meta phases, plus a few medium ones).
- Total proposed: About four to six significant new projects (adding thousands of megawatts if all built).
Full time employment of Data Centers is minimal
Typical staffing benchmarks:
- Small facilities (1–5 MW): 8-15 operational staff
- Medium facilities (5–20 MW): 15-35 operational staff
- Large facilities (20 MW+): 35+ operational staff