America is planning more AI datacenters than its chip supply can fill

Satellite imagery suggests US datacenter deployment is accelerating, but not fast enough to meet some of the more exuberant forecasts for 2028. Meanwhile, advanced chip packaging is emerging as another constraint on how quickly new AI capacity can come online. A report from investment bank Jefferies says server farm construction is proceeding apace across America, but permitting, access to power, and supplies of packaged AI accelerators continue to hold projects back. The report, shared with The Reg, cites analytics biz SynMax, which uses weekly satellite imagery to track land clearing, the appearance of the first structures, and construction progress at datacenter sites - data that distinguishes projects advancing on the ground from those that have merely been announced. SynMax estimates that US deployments will rise from roughly 11 GW of gross capacity in 2025 to 16-18 GW in 2026, above its previous forecast of 14-16 GW. It puts the practical upper limit for 2027 in the low 20s of gigawatts. …