AVAIO Taurus Brandon: $6B AI Data Center Campus 1GW MS
Status: Under Construction (Site Work / Foundation) | Location: Brandon (Rankin County)
Project Overview
AVAIO Digital Taurus is a $6 billion hyperscale campus that represents the third-largest private investment in Mississippi's history. Formally announced in August 2025 and having broken ground shortly after, the project is currently in the heavy site-work phase as of March 2026. Located in Brandon’s East Metropolitan Center, the campus is designed to be a "pole of gravity" for AI and cloud computing in the Southeast, offering a strategic alternative to the saturated markets of Northern Virginia and Dallas.
The Taurus campus is distinguished by its multi-fuel power strategy. While the initial phase is supported by a 116 MW grid agreement with Entergy Mississippi, the master plan includes a "behind-the-meter" (BTM) thermal generation facility capable of ramping to 500 MW using the nearby Gulf South Pipeline. This ensures the site can scale independently of long-term utility transmission timelines. Sustainability is central to the design, featuring a "Zero-Waste" water approach that utilizes rainwater recapture and water-efficient cooling to minimize impact on the local Rankin County aquifer.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | AVAIO Taurus Brandon: $6B AI Data Center Campus 1GW MS |
| Location | Brandon (Rankin County) |
| Status | Under Construction (Site Work / Foundation) |
| Commissioning | Phase 1: H1 2027; Full Buildout: 2030+ |
| Total IT Load | 1.1 GW (Potential Master Plan) |
| Total Capacity | ~600,000 Sq. Ft. (Phase 1) |
| Tier Level | ~600,000 Sq. Ft. (Phase 1) |
| Project Type | Hyperscale / AI-Ready Data Center Hub |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Brandon |
| Population | 50,000 (Population estimate, adjust accordingly) |
| Urban Agglomeration | 60,000 (Urban area population, adjust accordingly) |
| City GDP | $2.5 billion (Adjust based on the latest data) |
| Per Capita Income | $45,000 (Based on the national average or city data) |
| City Tier | Tier 3 |
| Key Strengths | Strong agricultural base |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Developer / Operator | AVAIO Digital |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Entergy Mississippi / Rankin First |
| Construction Contractor | Yates Construction (Lead GC) |
| MEP Engineering | Syska Hennessy / DLB Associates |
| Network Connectivity | Multiple long-haul fiber routes (Dallas-Atlanta path) |
| Power Infrastructure | Entergy MS (Initial) / On-site Natural Gas (Future) |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Power Capacity | 1,036 MW (1.03 GW) Total Baseload Path |
| UPS Redundancy | $N+1$ or $2N$ (Customizable per Tenant) |
| Cooling System | Water-efficient Hybrid with Rainwater Recapture |
| Connectivity | 4 Diverse Non-Single-Point-of-Failure entry points |
| PUE Target | 1.15 |
| Energy Mix | Grid + 20MW On-site Solar + Potential 500MW Gas BTM |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Announcement | August 19, 2025 |
| Construction Start | September 2025 (Groundbreaking) |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | H1 2027 (Energized June 2027) |
| Full Buildout | 2030 (Targeting 1GW+) |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Total Investment | $6 Billion |
| Funding | AVAIO Digital / Institutional Infrastructure Funds |