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US data center buildout slows on supply hurdles

Apr 2, 2026, 6:33pm EDT
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An aerial view of an Amazon Web Services Data Center known as US East 1 in Ashburn, Virginia
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

The US’ AI infrastructure buildout is decelerating as the market struggles to keep up with demand.

The last quarter of 2025 saw a slowdown in newly added data center capacity, while nearly half of the projects planned for this year are expected to be delayed or canceled, Bloomberg reported.

The expansion has been hamstrung by a shortage of electric equipment: Builders have had to rely on largely Chinese imports since American factories aren’t making enough of the components. The US government has had only limited success in trying to reduce its dependence on Chinese devices.

Total US imports rose $14 billion in February; about half of that increase can be attributed to AI-related equipment, experts said.

Chart showing US producer price index for electrical transformers and power regulators since 1947
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