Site Selection · Updated September 30, 2026

Data Center Site Selection Software: Compare Power, Queue, Tax and Tariffs Across 60 Regions

September 30, 2026 8 min read Strategic Crypto Reserve Data Center Costs
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Secure checkout by Stripe. The AI Build Configurator runs on your own website under your brand; Enterprise is quoted — compare all tiers.

Choosing where to build decides most of a data center's cost before design starts. The AI Build Configurator is site selection software that compares 51 US states and DC plus 9 Canadian provinces on power rate, grid queue, construction cost factor, sales tax and large-load tariff rules, and prices the full build for each.

Data Center Site Selection Software

The Five Site Selection Criteria That Move Cost

Power rate
The single biggest running cost. Modelled rates run from US$0.065/kWh (Louisiana, New Mexico) to US$0.38 (Hawaii).
Grid queue
Months to energise: 24 in North Dakota, 48 in Virginia, California and Hawaii.
Construction cost factor
0.86× in Arkansas and Mississippi to 1.30× in Hawaii.
Sales tax on equipment
30 states offer a data center exemption; 7 have paused theirs; 10 have none; 4 have no sales tax.
Large-load tariffs
Minimum-take floors in Virginia, Ohio, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey and Oregon.

Each one is a live input in the configurator, so changing the state re-prices the whole build and its running cost.

What to compare: power, queue, cost factor, tax, tariffs Sales-tax exemptions: states with a data center exemption open Large-load rules: states with minimum-take floors modelled

How Leading States Compare

Lowest modelled rates: per kWh in Louisiana and New Mexico Shortest grid queues: North Dakota
Selected US states in the SCR AI Build Configurator (data vintage Q3 2026). Rate is the modelled industrial power rate per kWh; queue is months to energise; cost factor scales construction cost.
StatePower rateGrid queueCost factorSales tax on equipmentLarge-load rule
TexasUS$0.07130 mo0.90×8.20% · Exemption available—
North DakotaUS$0.07924 mo0.92×7.04% · Exemption available—
GeorgiaUS$0.08036 mo0.90×7.38% · Exemption available100 MW+ floor 80%
VirginiaUS$0.09548 mo0.95×5.77% · Exemption available25 MW+ floor 85%
OhioUS$0.08342 mo0.96×7.24% · Exemption paused25 MW+ floor 85%
ArizonaUS$0.08842 mo0.92×8.52% · Exemption paused—
TennesseeUS$0.07432 mo0.88×9.56% · Exemption available—
WashingtonUS$0.07536 mo1.06×9.40% · Exemption available—
OregonUS$0.08242 mo1.05×0.00% · No sales tax20 MW+ floor 80%
NevadaUS$0.11036 mo1.02×8.24% · Exemption available—
CaliforniaUS$0.20548 mo1.22×8.85% · No exemption—
New YorkUS$0.07842 mo1.22×8.53% · No exemption—

California is the target market for many of our readers, so it is worth knowing it sits at the expensive end on every axis: US$0.205/kWh modelled power, a 1.22× construction cost factor, a 48-month grid queue and no sales-tax exemption on equipment. Texas, North Dakota and Georgia score well on power and cost; Virginia offers the deepest market but the longest queue and a large-load floor. See each state's rules in our tariff library.

Site Selection Software on Your Own Website

Most site selection tools are internal consultancy spreadsheets. The AI Build Configurator is different: it is a licensed, embeddable widget that runs on your website under your brand, so prospects can compare locations and price a build themselves before they call you.

Data
Maintained centrally by Strategic Crypto Reserve and updated as rates, tariffs and tax rules change (data vintage Q3 2026).
Coverage
9 Canadian provinces in CAD and all 50 US states plus DC in USD.
Install
Two lines of code, nothing to host.

Licences start at CAD $4,000 a year (Standard) and CAD $10,000 (Pro). Try the free live demo first, or order a one-time Site Screening Report (CAD $950) for one site.

Regions compared: 51 US states and DC plus 9 provinces On your website: of code to install, nothing to host

Frequently Asked Questions

What is data center site selection software?

Software that compares candidate locations for a data center on power cost, grid availability, construction cost, tax and tariff rules. The SCR AI Build Configurator does this for 60 regions and prices the full build for each.

What matters most in data center site selection?

Power: its price, how long it takes to get it (grid queue) and any large-load tariff rules. Construction cost factors and sales tax on equipment come next.

Which US states are cheapest for data centers?

On power, Louisiana and New Mexico (US$0.065/kWh modelled) followed by Oklahoma and Texas; on construction cost, Arkansas and Mississippi (0.86× factor).

Which states have large-load data center tariffs?

The configurator models minimum-take floors in Virginia, Ohio, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey and Oregon.

Can I put site selection software on my website?

Yes. The SCR AI Build Configurator is licensed per domain from CAD $4,000 a year and installs with two lines of code.