MW (megawatt)
A megawatt is one million watts, the unit used to size data center power demand and generation. Data center capacity may be quoted as MW of critical IT load or as total facility demand including cooling, which is higher, so the basis should always be stated. Edge sites run about 1–10 MW, while hyperscale campuses commonly range from 100–500 MW or more.
The full guide · Power & interconnectionHow Much Power Does a Data Center Need?How much power data centers need by type, from 1–10 MW edge sites to multi-gigawatt AI campuses, and how IT load, PUE and phasing shape the utility request.