Machine Bottleneck
This chart compares the growth of planned U.S. electricity-generation capacity with data-center construction spending. It combines EIA generator inventories and Census construction data, indexing both to June 2022; it compares momentum and does not convert construction dollars into power demand or available megawatts.
What does it show?
Data-center investment is accelerating faster than the planned power capacity needed to support it.
Methodology
Both series are indexed to 100 in 2022-06 so their rates of change can be compared on one axis. Underlying series: total nameplate capacity of all utility-scale generators listed as planned in EIA’s monthly generator inventory (form EIA-860M, Planned sheet), and private data-center construction spending (Census C30, SAAR). This compares momentum; it does not convert dollars into watts.