One of the biggest stories in the energy world right now is the rise of data centers and the massive amounts of electricity they require. It’s happening everywhere, but the Northeast stands out because big data center projects are clustering near existing high‑voltage lines, major substations, natural gas-fired generation and pipeline corridors. Some states already have large, mature hubs, while others are just starting to show up on the map. In today’s RBN blog, we zero in on the part of the Northeast with the heaviest concentration of these power‑hungry campuses, while also previewing our latest Drill Down Report on the changing dynamics in the Northeast gas market.
After being in virtual limbo for the past couple of years, the Northeast gas market is reawakening. Pipeline projects to expand connectivity between Appalachia and demand centers are moving forward for the first time in years, including into the previously off-limits New York/New Jersey and New England market areas. Regional flow dynamics are poised to shift as expansions debottleneck production and pathways out of the Appalachia producing region, deepening seasonal patterns. At the same time, structural changes, such as coal retirements and new data centers, are driving additional gas demand, and we’re already seeing more gas-related projects in areas where data centers are planned or under construction. In today’s blog, we’re calling out the heavy hitters among the 14 Northeast states, the places where big data center clusters already exist and more are planned.
As we detailed in Sweet Virginia, the center of the data center universe is Virginia. The state was the pioneer for data centers and has been home to them since the 1990s — long before most people even knew what a data center was. Virginia has more than 550 data centers, with some estimates at well over 600. Northern Virginia already hosts the world’s largest concentration of data centers, anchored by Loudoun (orange-shaded county on top of Figure 1 below) and neighboring counties, and industry estimates suggest the state’s installed and committed capacity runs into the multi‑gigawatt range, far beyond any other state, with the potential to significantly alter the region’s supply/demand picture, a topic examined in our new report. There are many thousands of megawatts already online, mostly serving hyperscalers like Amazon, Digital Realty, Equinix, Google, Microsoft and QTS. Meta’s 500‑MW Henrico facility near Richmond gives a sense of the scale of individual sites.
Figure 1. Planned Virginia Data Centers. Source: Novi Labs
U.S. Rig Count Up Ten to 573; Largest Weekly Gain Since June 2022
U.S. oil and gas rig count gained ten rigs to 573 for the week ending June 26 according to Baker Hughes data, as Anadarko (+2), Permian (+2), Gulf of Mexico (+1), Haynesville (+1), the Niobrara (+1) and All Other (+3) all posted gains with no basin reporting a decline.
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About the song
“I Want More” was written by KALEO’s lead vocalist and guitarist, JJ Julius Son, and appears as the first song on Side C of KALEO’s third studio album, the double-LP, Surface Songs. The song is about yearning for something more meaningful and reaching a deeper level of commitment. Released as a single in Iceland in January 2020, it reached #4 on the Icelandic singles chart. Personnel on the record were: JJ Julius Son (lead vocals, guitar), Daniel Kristjansson (bass), Rubin Pollock (lead guitar, backing vocals), Davio Antonsson (drums, percussion, backing vocals) and Gaukur Daviosson (harmonica, various instruments).
Surface Sounds is a double LP and the third studio album of KALEO. It was recorded at a variety of studios in North America, South America and Europe and produced by Julius Son and Dave Cobb. Son spent two years globe-hopping to write songs about trouble and redemption for the album, hoping that each new locale he recorded at would bring a fresh flavor to the record. The album was released in April 2021 and went to #102 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Five singles were released from the LP.
KALEO is a blues-rock band formed in Mosfellsbaer, Iceland, in 2012 by Julius Son, Dan Kristjansson, Davio Antonsson, Rubin Pollock and Gaukur Daviosson. (“KALEO” means “the voice” in Hawaiian.) In 2013, the band signed with Icelandic record label Sena and released their debut album. After successful performances at SXSW, the band relocated to Austin, TX, in 2015, and signed with Elektra Records in the U.S. They have released four studio albums and 17 singles. They have sold more than 1 million records worldwide. They released their latest album, Mixed Emotions, in May 2025. They continue to record and tour and are currently on their Way Down We Go/Mixed Emotions Tour in North America.
"About the Song" -- written by Mickey McMahan , RBN Director of Musicology
