The AI boom has kicked off a massive wave of data center construction around the world. But building the facilities is only part of the challenge. Before investing billions, companies need reliable data on power availability, grid capacity, fiber connectivity and planned infrastructure expansion.
Much of that information comes from specialized datasets that combine information on energy, infrastructure, connectivity and development activity. In other words, companies aren’t just competing to build AI infrastructure anymore. They’re also competing to own the data that helps decide where it gets built. That’s part of the story behind S&P Global’s planned acquisition of datacenterHawk.
Founded in 2014, datacenterHawk tracks hundreds of data center markets, collecting information on facilities already in operation, projects under development, pricing, available capacity and fiber infrastructure. Its customers range from developers and investors to hyperscalers looking for a better understanding of where new capacity is coming online.
S&P Global, meanwhile, hardly needs an introduction. Best known for its financial and commodity data businesses, the company has also been expanding its technology and infrastructure research capabilities, including through its acquisition of 451 Research.
(Andrey Suslov/Shutterstock)
S&P Global said it plans to acquire datacenterHawk from Leeds Equity Partners, which acquired the company in 2021. Financial terms weren’t disclosed yet. After the deal closes, datacenterHawk will become part of S&P Global Market Intelligence. The company says the combination will bring together datacenterHawk’s market-level data with S&P’s existing research on energy markets, utilities and digital infrastructure.
“AI is transforming not only technology markets, but the physical infrastructure and energy systems that underpin the global economy, with significant implications for productivity, investment and GDP growth,” said Dave Ernsberger, President of S&P Global Energy.
“By bringing datacenterHawk into S&P Global Energy, we are reinforcing our energy expansion strategy, helping our customers make real-time decisions with confidence in one of the most important infrastructure markets of the next decade.”
On paper, datacenterHawk looks like a fairly small addition to S&P’s much larger information business. But the fit makes sense. S&P already collects vast amounts of data on electricity markets, utilities, energy infrastructure and commodities.
What it hasn’t had is the same level of visibility into individual data center markets. AI changes the value of that information. It’s no longer enough to know where power is available or how electricity prices are moving. Customers increasingly want to connect that information with what’s happening on the ground in markets like Northern Virginia, Phoenix or Dallas.
(Shutterstock/Aqi49)
For datacenterHawk, joining S&P Global gives its data much wider distribution. Up to now, the company has largely served businesses that already operate in the data center industry.
“The data center market has become a critical intersection point for AI, energy, capital investment and sustainability,” said David Liggitt, Founder and CEO of datacenterHawk.
“Customers need intelligence that connects critical infrastructure growth with power markets, grid constraints, supply chains and environmental considerations. By combining 451 Research and datacenterHawk, we expect to give customers a more complete view of where capacity, investment and demand are likely to emerge.”
The questions being asked around new data center projects have changed as well. A few years ago, companies were mostly comparing markets on cost, available land and tax incentives. Yes, those factors still matter, but they no longer tell the whole story.
(vectorfusionart/Shutterstock)
Power has become a deciding factor in many projects. This is not surprising as now AI facilities consume far more electricity than traditional enterprise data centers. In some cases, developers are finding suitable sites before they can secure enough power to operate them.
That has made infrastructure data more useful to a wider range of organizations. A developer may want to know where new capacity is being built. A utility may be more interested in where demand is expected to increase. An investor may be looking for markets where supply is tightening. They’re different questions, but they increasingly depend on the same underlying information.
That’s one reason data center intelligence has become more than a niche research product. The data is no longer only about tracking existing facilities. It’s increasingly being used to understand where AI infrastructure is heading next.
The post AI Is Creating a New Market for Infrastructure Data, S&P Global Wants In appeared first on AIwire.
