Compass Meridian: $10B 500MW Hyperscale Campus Mississippi
Status: Under Construction (Groundbreaking Jan 2025) | Location: Meridian (Lauderdale County), Mississippi
Project Overview
Formally launched in January 2025, Project Meridian is a $10 billion hyperscale data center investment led by Compass Datacenters, positioning Meridian as an emerging technology hub in the Southeastern United States. Spanning 303 acres in Lauderdale County, the campus is designed with Compass’s proprietary “Core” modular architecture, enabling rapid deployment while ensuring a 100-year structural lifespan. The development includes eight planned buildings, each delivering 40MW of IT capacity, for a total of 500MW supported by a dedicated on-site substation developed in partnership with Mississippi Power. The project emphasizes speed-to-market advantages through a shovel-ready site with pre-installed utility infrastructure, including water, sewer, and gas systems, along with proximity to major fiber routes near the I-20 and I-59 corridor. Utilizing water-free, air-cooled systems and targeting a PUE below 1.25, the campus aligns with sustainability and efficiency goals while offering flexible UPS redundancy configurations (N+1 and 2N). Despite criticism in late 2025 from the Center for Economic Accountability over extensive tax incentives, construction remains on schedule, with initial facilities expected to go live by late 2026 and full buildout targeted by 2033.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | Compass Meridian: $10B 500MW Hyperscale Campus Mississippi |
| Location | Meridian (Lauderdale County), Mississippi |
| Status | Under Construction (Groundbreaking Jan 2025) |
| Commissioning | Phase 1 (First Data Center): Late 2026; Full buildout: 2033 |
| Total IT Load | 500 MW |
| Total Capacity | 8 Buildings; ~2 Million Sq. Ft. total (250k sq. ft. per building) |
| Tier Level | Tier III+ (Designed for 100-year longevity) |
| Project Type | Single-Tenant Hyperscale Data Center Campus |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Meridian |
| Population | ~134,800 (2024 est.) |
| Urban Agglomeration | ~846,000 (Boise Metropolitan Area) |
| City GDP | ~$40–45 billion (Boise MSA est.) |
| Per Capita Income | ~$38,000–$42,000 |
| City Tier | Tier 2 |
| Key Strengths | Proximity to Boise tech corridor, strong population growth, business-friendly environment, logistics connectivity, affordable real estate, growing data center interest |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Developer / Operator | Compass Data centers |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | City of Meridian / Lauderdale County / State of Mississippi. |
| Construction Contractor | Compass Internal Construction Management / Local EPC partners. |
| MEP Engineering | Compass Global Design Team. |
| Network Connectivity | High-capacity fiber located near the I-20 and I-59 transit intersection. |
| Power Infrastructure | 500 MW via a dedicated on-site substation (Mississippi Power). |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Power Capacity | 500 MW |
| UPS Redundancy | $N+1$ and $2N$ options available based on tenant requirements. |
| Cooling System | Water-free cooling (air-cooled) to minimize local environmental impact. |
| Connectivity | Diverse carrier paths serving the Southeastern U.S. corridor. |
| PUE Target | < 1.25 |
| Energy Mix | Collaboration with MS Power for renewable energy integration options. |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Announcement | January 9, 2025 |
| Construction Start | February 2025 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | Late 2026 |
| Full Buildout | 2033 |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Total Investment | $10 Billion |
| Funding | Private equity and infrastructure financing. |