This week's announcement by President Donald Trump of a massive private-sector investment to build more AI data centers casts a spotlight on a relatively small and nimble class of cloud computing firms positioned to play a bigger role in the tech sector.

In a small Texas city nearly 200 miles west of Dallas, the first data center associated with the $100 billion Stargate venture from OpenAI, SoftBank Group Corp. and Oracle Corp. is taking shape. About 875 acres in Abilene,

In a small Texas city nearly 200 miles west of Dallas, the first data center associated with the US$100 billion Stargate venture from OpenAI, SoftBank Group and Oracle is taking shape.

Data center builds typically have timelines of 18 to 24 months, gas and renewable power plans have timelines of three to five years, and new transmission development can take seven to ten years. In fact, it’s the power transmission grid that’s often the biggest constraint, the research firm says, more even than the power generation capacity.

Officials say the amount of energy Georgia's booming data center industry needs is "staggering" and are hoping a new rule will help keep the cost away from normal ratepayers.