Yes—Goldman Sachs’ latest reported outlook leaves U.S. data-center growth through 2027 largely intact despite rising political and community opposition. Reuters reported on October 5, 2026, that Goldman raised its year-end 2026 capacity forecast to 64 gigawatts (GW) but trimmed its year-end 2027 forecast to 90 GW. Those are capacity estimates; Goldman’s separately reported power-demand forecasts are annual increases of 12 GW in 2026 and 17 GW in 2027.
What Goldman’s latest reported forecast says
Reuters said Goldman’s Sunday note described the growth outlook through 2027 as “largely unchanged” despite increasing opposition. The note’s full text was not available in Reuters’ report, so the figures below are attributable to Reuters’ account of Goldman’s update, not a direct review of the note. Reuters’ October 5 report quoted Goldman’s statement that project data and updated capacity estimates support that view.
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| Measure | Goldman forecast as reported by Reuters | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. data-center capacity at year-end 2026 | 64 GW, 5 GW above the prior estimate | A year-end capacity level |
| U.S. data-center capacity at year-end 2027 | 90 GW, 5 GW below the prior estimate | A year-end capacity level |
| U.S. data-center power-demand growth in 2026 | 12 GW, or 38% | An annual increase, not a year-end capacity estimate |
| U.S. data-center power-demand growth in 2027 | 17 GW, or 38% | An annual increase, not a year-end capacity estimate |
The 64 GW and 90 GW figures describe capacity levels at two points in time. The 12 GW and 17 GW figures describe forecast additions to power demand during each year. They are related measures, but they are not interchangeable. Reuters reported the demand figures separately in its coverage of Goldman’s power-demand outlook.
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Why the forecast is not a promise that every project will open
A project announced, permitted, or scheduled is not the same as a facility connected to the grid and operating. Goldman’s May 2026 outlook said it expected only about 60% of capacity scheduled for the following year and about 50% of capacity scheduled for the following two years to come online on time. That earlier estimate reflected project delays and cancellations; it is context from May, not a replacement for October’s forecast.
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Goldman’s May analysis attributed common delays to labor and supply-chain shortages and said a typical data center takes 18 to 24 months to build after permits are secured. It also modeled power demand using a 70% capacity-utilization assumption. The underlying May projection anticipated U.S. data-center power demand rising from 31 GW in 2025 to 41 GW in 2026 and 66 GW in 2027, alongside capacity reaching roughly 95 GW by the end of 2027. These were May estimates, not the October forecast. Goldman Sachs’ May 20 outlook explains the assumptions.
Where power and grid access can slow development
National growth forecasts can coexist with local bottlenecks. In Goldman’s May 2026 assessment, reliability risks were elevated in the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-Continent, and Northwest. Goldman expected more limited tightening in Texas and Georgia, where planned generation additions could help, while already-tight areas including Tennessee, New England, and Florida could face constrained additions. These are regional observations from that May outlook, not a guarantee of conditions for any particular project.
Getting a grid connection can itself take years. In a Goldman Sachs Exchanges transcript published in September 2026 and recorded August 12, utility analyst Carly Davenport said waits depend on the regional grid and may range from two to seven years. The transcript also discusses queues and the local concerns that can complicate development.
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How much opposition is there—and what does it measure?
Poll results point to concern, but the questions measure different things and should not be combined into a single approval rate. Reuters reported June Reuters/Ipsos figures showing about one-third approval of the pace of U.S. data-center construction and 14% support for a data center in respondents’ communities to support AI projects. Separately, Le Monde reported a May Gallup poll in which seven in ten Americans opposed a data center near their homes. The first figures concern construction pace and support for a local AI facility; the Gallup result concerns opposition to a facility near one’s home.
Opposition has also translated into policy activity and project disruption. Le Monde reported that New York enacted a moratorium on July 14, 2026, covering construction of data-center complexes consuming at least 50 MW. It also reported that 300 bills had been introduced nationally and cited advocacy group Data Center Watch’s count of 75 major projects blocked or delayed in the first quarter of 2026. That project count is an advocacy group’s tally, not an official government census. Le Monde’s report describes the state and community pushback.
Permitting and siting decisions are commonly handled by state or municipal authorities, though federal policy can also affect development. Axios has described how the long time horizon for infrastructure investment can clash with shorter political cycles; its account is analysis, not a comprehensive legal inventory of current restrictions. Axios’ coverage outlines that tension.
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What could reduce community concerns
Analysts have discussed ways developers and policymakers might address concerns about outages, electricity prices, water use, noise, and heat. Those are potential mitigations, not assurances that a specific project will avoid impacts or win local approval. Brian Singer, Goldman Sachs Global Head of GS SUSTAIN, cautioned that opposition would not simply disappear: “But again, that doesn’t mean this is going away.”
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