Say what you will about whether artificial intelligence is good for humanity. It is undoubtedly worth billions of dollars — and then some — to the states that can attract AI business.
AI is a massive consumer of electricity, water, computing power, and land. That puts some states in a much better position than others to host the AI revolution, despite having to contend with rising public opposition.
"Projects are getting bigger, they're drawing more power due to AI and electrical needs, more natural resources," said Tom Stringer of Stringer Site Selection and Incentives in New York. "So, finding the places that have land and the infrastructure that are required is really what our job has become in the last couple of years."
CNBC has always rated states' infrastructure as part of our America's Top States for Business study. In this, the 20th year for the influential rankings, our methodology for the Infrastructure category includes multiple factors that are critical to support AI. They include abundant and inexpensive electricity, and the ability to deliver it in sufficient quantities for the most sophisticated computing. Also important: plenty of water, as well as state-certified, shovel-ready sites for development.
These ten states have the infrastructure to play a central role in the future of AI.
Elevated View of Chattanooga Tennessee Skyline in Autumn
Jeremy Poland | E+ | Getty Images
The Volunteer State is no Johnny-come-lately in the world of AI. In 2022, Tennessee established the multi-disciplinary AI Tennessee initiative at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a goal of making the state a leader in AI. This initiative is more than just a slogan or a think tank.
"AI Tennessee is aligning government, industry, and academic efforts across Tennessee," the program's website declares, "to ensure that AI contributes to growth in key economic sectors including nuclear energy and security, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and forestry, health care, and mobility."
Tennessee is also developing the infrastructure to back that up. While not an electricity generating powerhouse, costs are reasonable and the system is steady. But where the state shines is in its water supply, including the Tennessee Valley Authority's stewardship of it. The Tennessee River basin is one of the most heavily used in the nation, with some 8 billion gallons removed every day. But the TVA notes that 95% of that water is recycled.
2026 Infrastructure rank: No. 6 (Top States grade: A–)
Net electric power generation (2025): 72,442 kMWh (per capita rank: No. 7)
Average electricity price (2025): $0.1185/kilowatt hour
Maximum load for computing: 1,110 megawatts (No. 24)
Water availability score (CNBC calculated based on U.S. Geological Survey data adjusted for hydrologic region): 4 out of 4
Site certification program: Yes
Most powerful supercomputer: Frontier, Oak Ridge National Lab (global rank: No. 3)
A data center owned by Amazon Web Services, front right, is under construction next to the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Berwick, Pennsylvania, Jan. 14, 2025.
Ted Shaffrey | AP
Pennsylvania is angling to be a leader in AI. Last year, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro announced the largest economic development deal in state history, in which Amazon agreed to invest $20 billion to build two massive data centers in the state. He has gotten some political blowback from data center opponents, but the centers will add to the Keystone State's already formidable infrastructure. Pennsylvania has America's third-highest electric generating capacity in absolute terms, and the second-highest power supply for computing (behind Virginia). The Delaware and Susquehanna River basins, not to mention Lake Erie, make Pennsylvania a water-rich state, but heavy use — as well as drought — are taxing availability.
2026 Infrastructure rank: No. 11 (Top States grade: B)
Net electric power generation: 242,298 kMWh (per capita rank: No. 13)
Average electricity price: $0.1411 per kilowatt hour
Maximum load for computing: 14,110 megawatts (No. 2)
Water availability score: 3.7 out of 4
Site certification program: Yes
Most powerful supercomputer: Bridges-2, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
The sun sets behind utility lines during high temperatures in Columbia, South Carolina, US, on Monday, July 28, 2025.
Sam Wolfe | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The Palmetto State is going all-in on shovel-ready sites. South Carolina boosted the funding for its Palmetto Sites site readiness program by more than 250% to $80 million in 2026, according to data from the Site Selectors Guild. In June, the program's database listed 51 sites ranging from 1 acre to more than 1,800 acres, certified and ready for development. Water availability is good, and electricity rates are competitive. But the state lags on generating capacity and electricity available for computing.
2026 Infrastructure rank: No. 27 (Top States grade: C+)
Net electric power generation: 103,274 kMWh (per capita rank: No. 14)
Average electricity price: $0.1145 per kilowatt hour
Maximum load for computing: 400 megawatts (No. 38)
Water availability score: 3.3 out of 4
Site certification program: Yes
Most powerful supercomputer: PowerEdge R740, Clemson Palmetto Cluster (global rank: No. 421)
Construction of a $16 billion data center developed by Related Digital for Oracle and Open AI, in Saline, Michigan, May 6, 2026.
Jim West | Universal Images Group | Getty Images
Michigan is home to a massive data center, under construction near Ann Arbor. The $16 billion, 1.65 million-square-foot facility is being developed by Blackstone and Related Digital for OpenAI and Oracle, which has said the center will "power the future of AI in the United States." But power has become a major issue surrounding the project, in a state where the grid is under stress. Michiganders endure, on average, nearly 8 hours without power per year, according to U.S. Department of Energy data — and rates are on the high side. The Great Lakes State is rich in water, however. And it is pouring $150 million into its site readiness program this year, more than any other state.
2026 Infrastructure rank: No. 9 (Top States grade: B+)
Net electric power generation: 125,947 kMWh (per capita rank: No. 27)
Average electricity price: $0.1473 per kilowatt hour
Maximum load for computing: 2,530 megawatts (No. 14)
Water availability score: 4 out of 4
Site certification program: Yes
Most powerful supercomputer: University of Michigan Great Lakes HPC
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul (C) and other officials hold a ground-breaking ceremony at the Con Edison Astoria Yards Complex in New York City. Officials broke ground at the start of construction on the converter station for the 339-Mile Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line - paving the way for the first-ever transformation of a fossil fuel site into a grid-scale zero-emission facility in New York City.
Ron Adar | AP
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul last month celebrated the completion of the 339-mile Champlain Hudson Power Express, the largest transmission line built in the Empire State in decades. The line will carry 10.4 terawatt hours of clean electricity per year from Canada to New York City, which Hochul, a Democrat, called "a game changer when it comes to keeping the lights on."
New York needs it. Electric rates are high in the state, with capacity constrained. The grid is very reliable, though, as New Yorkers see just 3.7 hours without power per year, according to U.S. Department of Energy data. New York does have an exceptional amount of power available for computing, with the 5th-highest maximum power load, according to Aterio, which compiles data on data centers and other big, power-intensive projects. And it has one of the top programs in the country for shovel-ready sites, with some 40 sites certified in its Fast NY program.
2026 Infrastructure rank: No. 13 (Top States grade: B–)
Net electric power generation: 128,837 kMWh (per capita rank: No. 43)
Average electricity price: $0.2162 per kilowatt hour
Maximum load for computing: 8,976 megawatts (No. 5)
Water availability score: 3.7 out of 4
Site certification program: Yes
Most powerful supercomputer: New York University Greene-H100
Eric Mischke | Istock | Getty Images
Despite its explosive growth (and searing temperatures), Arizona is more than keeping up with electricity demand, at least for now. The grid is reliable, and costs are reasonable. That is not to say that there are not huge challenges for the Grand Canyon State. In April, Gov. Katie Hobbs unveiled a series of recommendations from a 36-member Energy Promise Task Force. The proposals focus on developing more generating capacity and additional sources. Separately, last month, Hobbs, a Democrat, signed a bipartisan initiative to pause the state's sales tax breaks for data centers for three years.
Another challenge for the state is water. Not only is access to fresh water severely limited, but the state has reported that its water infrastructure needs more than $12 billion in repairs and maintenance over the next 20 years, according to EPA data. At the same time, Arizona has a wealth of available real estate, and a determination to keep rolling out the red carpet for tech.
2026 Infrastructure rank: No. 8 (Top States grade: B+)
Net electric power generation: 116,632 kMWh (per capita rank: No. 19)
Average electricity price: $0.1297 per kilowatt hour
Maximum load for computing: 2,681 megawatts (No. 12)
Water availability score: 1 out of 4
Site certification program: Yes
Most powerful supercomputer: Sol, Arizona State University (global rank: No. 484)
Iron Bridge over the Wabash River-Miami County, Indiana
William Reagan | Istock | Getty Images
Indiana proclaims itself to be the Crossroads of the World, and it wants that moniker to apply to the virtual world as well. The state's IN AI initiative is seeking to make Indiana "the most AI-ready economy in the nation." From an infrastructure standpoint, it is clearly in the arena. The Hoosier State ranks in the top 10 in power supply for computing, and its overall grid is robust as well. Indiana also has good water availability, with Lake Michigan to the north, and the Wabash and Ohio Rivers to the south. Indiana has a well-established site readiness program, but it did not indicate any dedicated funding for it in its response to a survey conducted for CNBC by the Site Selectors Guild.
2026 Infrastructure rank: No. 4 (Top States grade: A)
Net electric power generation: 104,510 kMWh (per capita rank: No. 21)
Average electricity price: $0.1257 per kilowatt hour
Maximum load for computing: 6,190 megawatts (No. 7)
Water availability score: 3.7 out of 4
Site certification program: Yes
Most powerful supercomputer: Anvil, Purdue University (global rank: No. 353)
Chris Wright, US energy secretary, Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group Corp., and Howard Lutnick, US commerce secretary, take a photo with workers and local leaders following a news conference at the Portsmouth Site in Piketon, Ohio, US, on Friday, March 20, 2026. SoftBank Group Corp. is working to deliver a data center-focused infrastructure project in Ohio so massive that Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son said it would channel $500 billion into a single campus.
Brian Kaiser | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The biggest factor in Ohio's vault to first place overall in CNBC's 2026 Top States for Business rankings is its infrastructure — the best in the nation, and one of the best for AI. While its power grid is in the middle of the pack for capacity, cost, and reliability, the power available for computing is abundant — in the top 10 nationally. And that abundance of computing energy is about to grow. Let others complain about the proliferation of data centers, including in other parts of Ohio. In Pike County, east of Cincinnati, they are celebrating what has been billed as the world's largest data center. SoftBank and its data center arm, SB Energy, are building it on a site where a giant uranium enrichment facility once stood, helping arm American nuclear bombs. Powering it all will be a massive gas-fired power plant and 18 small nuclear reactors. Yes, 18! Fresh water is plentiful in Ohio — no Mistake by the Lake here — though infrastructure repair needs are great.
2026 Infrastructure rank: No. 1 (Top States grade: A+)
Net electric power generation: 146,407 kMWh (per capita rank: No. 28)
Average electricity price: $0.1243 per kilowatt hour
Maximum load for computing: 3,888 megawatts (No. 9)
Water availability score: 4 out of 4
Site certification program: Yes
Most powerful supercomputer: Cardinal GPU Partition (global rank: No. 279)
An Amazon Web Services data center in Ashburn, Virginia, US, on Sunday, July 28, 2024.
Nathan Howard | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Virginia's site readiness program is the envy of the nation. The Virginia Business Ready Sites Program had 127 state-certified sites as of May, according to the Site Selectors Guild. And while funding for the program is down a bit this year, the Old Dominion will still devote about $46 million to site readiness in 2026. Virginia's overall power grid is strained, due in part to the commonwealth's embrace of data centers. No state has more of them — more than 600, according to Data Center Map. But that is fueling a growing backlash over data centers, with some municipalities talking about banning them. At the same time, no state is better equipped to deliver the scale of power that data centers and AI companies demand. Virginia's power transmission system is among the best in the country.
2026 Infrastructure rank: No. 2 (Top States grade: A+)
Net electric power generation: 102,875 kMWh (per capita rank: No. 30)
Average electricity price: $0.1141 per kilowatt hour
Maximum load for computing: 32,396 megawatts (No. 1)
Water availability score: 3.3 out of 4
Site certification program: Yes
Most powerful supercomputer: Falcon, Virginia Tech
Power lines and power generating windmills rise above the rural landscape on June 13, 2018 near Dwight, Illinois.
Scott Olson | Getty Images
The Land of Lincoln is poised to be the land of AI, at least from an infrastructure standpoint, with a power grid that is formidable. The state is home to 11 nuclear reactors — more than any other state — supplying more than half its power. But Illinois is also diversifying its energy mix, with a growing percentage coming from renewables, particularly wind. That diversity helps make the grid reliable, with the average customer losing power for only about 2.6 hours per year. More crucially, Illinois' grid is well-equipped to deliver the large electrical loads needed to process AI and other data. All that, plus good water availability from Lake Michigan and the Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio Rivers, as well as a robust site readiness program, has made Illinois a mecca for data centers — more than 200 and counting.
But that may be coming at the expense of other electricity ratepayers. Costs are on the high side, prompting Gov. JB Pritzker to institute a pause on new data center incentive agreements beginning July 1. "Illinois has an opportunity to continue leading in technological innovation and economic growth, but we also have a responsibility to protect working families and local communities," Pritzker, a Democrat, said in a statement on June 5.
2026 Infrastructure rank: No. 3 (Top States grade: A+)
Net electric power generation: 190,815 kMWh (per capita rank: No. 20)
Average electricity price: $0.1374 per kilowatt hour
Maximum load for computing: 11,822 megawatts (No. 3)
Water availability score: 3.7 out of 4
Site certification program: Yes
Most powerful supercomputer: Aurora, Argonne National Laboratory (global rank: No. 3)
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