The data center market in the FirstEnergy region continues to grow because of demand within the region, combined with competitively priced real estate, as compared to Chicago and New York.

The New Jersey cluster of data centers, the largest in the FirstEnergy region, is ideal if your business needs to be close to New York. In New Jersey, you’ll find that real estate is less costly; energy service is reliable; infrastructure is robust; and the state government is business-friendly. The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, for example, have moved their data centers out of New York City. The I-95 corridor is a busy location, with data centers in Newark, Clifton, Secaucus, Carlstadt and Weehawken. Activity extends to I-287 and also down into Philadelphia.

In addition, data clusters have grown up in Cleveland, Columbus and Pittsburgh. In these cities, you’ll find a robust IT and energy infrastructure, combined with a very low rate of natural disaster occurrences. Facebook, Amazon and Google have locations in New Albany, near Columbus, Ohio. Many cross-country east-west routes cut through Cleveland, if they do not cut through Atlanta. About 60% of the U.S. population lives within 600 miles of Cleveland.