QTS Richmond 1 · Sandston, VA

Last change recorded — · Last checked 2026-10-05

Owner—

Users—

IT power, end of 2026238 MW

Planned end state238 MW

First power2024-01-29

Build-out completeno further build-out tracked

Power pathGrid supply

Binding stepNo data yet

First power vs announcedNo announced date on record

Full build-out vs announcedNo announced date on record

Utility / power partnersDominion Energy

QTS Henrico campus served by Dominion Energy (see QTS Richmond 3 for the grid context). · source ◐ secondary, confidence medium

Recorded readiness — 0 of 6 applicable milestones have a dated public record

○ Land○ Permits○ Grid supply· Generation○ Water○ Financing○ Construction

Gate to first power — target 2024-01-29 (estimate) · path: Grid supply · each step must finish its lead time before the target

0 of 0 required steps have a public date. Red = recorded date past the rule-based deadline · grey "no public date" = required step without a record · green = on record in time · context steps never colour.

No dated steps on record.

This site is energized; lights only show how its recorded steps compared with the lead times.

Lead-time assumptions

Site secured 15 months before first power — Land under control and campus announced. Rarely binding; shown for context.
Permits in hand 0 months before first power — Final air and siting permits. Operators often energize on standard or temporary authorisations and receive the major permit later; flagged only when the permit lands more than 6 months after first power or is missing for an on-site plant.
Grid supply agreed 9 months before first power — Interconnection or large-load agreement approved. Observed median 7 months before first power; the physical works (substation, lines) run in parallel with construction.
Substation and lines energized 2 months before first power — Utility delivery point live; final tests before the load is taken.
New generation online 1 months before first power — Utility plant or on-site plant generating; needed just before energization when the grid cannot carry the load alone.
Major equipment on site 6 months before first power — Turbines, transformers, switchgear delivered; installation and commissioning take the remaining months.
Construction started 24 months before first power — Groundbreaking of the building that gives first power. Observed 4-26 months for recent AI campuses; Meta's redesigned campuses took 35-58.
Building ready for IT 0 months before first power — First building ready for IT. 'Complete' or 'opened' is usually reported after first power; flagged only beyond 3 months.
Full build-out complete -12 months before first power — All announced buildings operational. Comes after first power by design; context only.
Water supply secured 12 months before first power — Water rights, municipal agreement or desalination contract in hand. Context only; one of the feasibility items.
Financing closed 12 months before first power — Project financing, anchor lease or committed capital announced. Context only; not applicable when the owner is a hyperscaler building on its balance sheet.

Dated steps (from the sources; later dates are plans)

2024-01-29 First powerFirst power (Epoch) · ◐

Build-out timeline (Epoch AI; dated status notes with IT power; rows after today are estimates)

2023-10-01—Land cleared for site expansion, some materials down at substation site. We assume that Buildings 1 and 2 are not running AI workloads at this point due to the lack of cooling infrastructure.

2023-11-02—Building 1 and 2 retrofitting has begun (see [Google Earth](https://earth.google.com/web/@37.48913637,-77.24705465,44.31788662a,1464.06665017d,30.00094375y,3.66969189h,0t,0r/data=ChYqEAgBEgoyMDIzLTExLTAyGAFCAggBMikKJwolC

2024-01-2947 MWBuilding 1 (retrofitted) is operational. This is based on it looking complete, and cooling towers possibly showing water vapor plumes, in this [Google Earth image](https://earth.google.com/web/@37.4875167,-77.24806799,43

2024-06-2394 MWBuilding 2 (retrofitted) is operational. This is based on Building 2 looking compelte, and construction around Building 1 and 2 being mostly cleared. A colored motion artifact on one of the Building 1 cooling tower fans

2025-02-04142 MWBuilding 3 is operational, based on the building looking complete and the carpark to the south being full. Three more backup generators added to the Building 1 and 2 area, with a lot more construction equipment again (bu

2025-06-03190 MWBuilding 4 is operational, based on a complete building and full carpark in a [Google Earth image](https://earth.google.com/web/@37.48350155,-77.25010039,60.24751599a,83.68032361d,30.00094375y,3.66969189h,0t,0r/data=Cgwq

2025-11-19238 MWBuilding 5 is operational, based on a complete building and full carpark in a [Google Earth image](https://earth.google.com/web/@37.48747566,-77.2485616,47.03705985a,2549.72172121d,30.00094375y,3.66969189h,0t,0r/data=ChY

2025-12-31238 MWNo changes to the site since November 2025.

2026-02-13238 MWNo changes to the site since December 2025.

Recorded fact The site is energized.

Calculated requirement Energized; watch the build-out timeline for the next buildings.

Sources (Epoch AI selection): Richmond 1 factsheet · Environmental permit detailing power generation

Epoch AI, 'AI data centers', epoch.ai/data/ai-data-centers (CC BY 4.0); coordinates from GeoNames cities500 (CC BY 4.0) and hand-entered places; overrides in tools/project_overrides.csv with their own sources. Campuses outside the Epoch dataset come from tools/campuses.csv (public reporting, source per row). Data retrieved 2026-10-05. Report a correction to contact@ailoadmap.com (campus id qts-richmond-1; include the row and a source link).