The Definitive Guide toAI Data Centers
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GuideGlossaryBrownfield

Brownfield

A project that reuses or retrofits an existing building or site rather than building new.

Current numbers

$2k–$5kPhase I ESA per ASTM E1527-21 (higher end for industrial/brownfield histories)as of 2026 · register ↗
~97 GWnew global data-center capacity forecast 2025–2030, up to ~$3T investment — the demand that makes brownfield reuse and repower attractiveas of 2026 · register ↗
~$2M / ~$5–6M+ per MWbrownfield retrofit cost: cooling-only vs full AI retrofit; ~2/3 of pre-2015 DCs unsuitable for frontier densityas of 2025 · register ↗

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