From the NVIDIA edition of September 21, 2026
Sue Data Centers: Aurora Manassas 96 MW AI factory still under construction
Sue Data Centers (registry) / Digital Realty · Independent data-center status tracking · Manassas, Virginia, USA
- Publisher
- Sue Data Centers
- Original publication
- Record updated September 9, 2026 (last checked Sep 14, 2026)
- Source retrieved
- 2026-09-22
- Event date
- 2026-09-09
What happened
Sue Data Centers’ Aurora AI Factory registry page (record updated Sep 9, 2026; last checked Sep 14, 2026) describes Digital Realty’s Manassas, Virginia site as under construction with 96 MW planned power, announced Oct 28, 2025, and cites DCD reporting that operations were slated for first half of 2026. It records AI use as confirmed, notes power-flexible/grid-connected framing with Emerald AI Conductor and a flexible-power certification developed with NVIDIA, Emerald AI, EPRI and PJM, and states no reception on record. Newly relevant because recent NVIDIA Flex narratives call Manassas the first dedicated DSX Flex commercial deployment while public trackers still show under construction.
Why it matters
Independent status check against vendor “first commercial DSX Flex” language: SLED planners should treat Aurora as a planned 96 MW flexible-load site still under construction—not an operating measured Flex reference today.
Evidence and measured results
96 MW planned; under construction; operator Digital Realty; announced Oct 28, 2025; record updated Sep 9, 2026; last checked Sep 14, 2026; H1 2026 ops cited via DCD Oct 30, 2025; Emerald Conductor / flexible certification notes; no reception on record.
Limitations and uncertainty
Registry synthesizes public sources; some fields explicitly “not established”; advocacy-oriented site—cross-check primary permits/utility docs for legal reliance.
Put this evidence to work
Lighthouse Advisory interpretation, grounded in this source. Enriched 2026-09-22; this does not change the original publication date. Each role follows the same checklist so takeaways compare across sources.
Sales
Role takeaway
- Customer problem
- Vendor Flex stories may outrun public evidence that Manassas is operating.
- Stakeholders
- facilities
- utility liaison
- executive sponsors
- Discovery questions
- Do you need operating Flex references or design intent?
- What public status will your board accept?
- Which measured Flex demos are in-scope?
- Value hypothesis
- Honest status framing preserves trust while keeping flexible-design optionality.
- Potential engagement
- Status diligence note comparing vendor Flex claims to public-record construction state.
- Unsupported claims
- Aurora is live at 96 MW
- Commercial Flex already measured there
- PJM certification equals energization
Pre-sales engineering
Role takeaway
- Fit
- Planning input for flexible-load AI factories; not a live config source.
- Architecture and integration
- Design for grid-signal responsive workloads; defer copy of Aurora controls until online.
- Prerequisites
- utility program rules
- workload priority classes
- telemetry
- Constraints
- Under construction
- Planned MW
- Secondary registry
- Security
- Future DR signal paths need OT controls.
- Proof of value
- Primary status confirmation
- When live: curtailment traces
- Priority-job preservation metrics
Delivery
Role takeaway
- Work
- Track energization; do not block current projects on Aurora go-live.
- Dependencies
- public permits
- utility interconnection
- Digital Realty schedule
- Ownership
- Facilities planning lead.
- Skills and adoption
- Planners need Flex vs densification vocabulary.
- Governance checkpoints
- Marketing claims reviewed against registry
- No critical-path dependency without primary confirm
- Acceptance criteria
- Status memo current
- Alternative measured Flex refs listed
- Risks
- Schedule slip
- Claim/status mismatch
- Registry incompleteness
Implementation considerations
Lighthouse Advisory interpretation across the operating dimensions a public-sector buyer must settle before this evidence becomes a design. Each note answers the question under its heading for this specific source.
Architecture and integration
What must connect, and where does the AI sit in the workflow?
Flexible-load designs (Emerald Conductor, PJM-oriented certification) are part of the planned architecture; do not assume live curtailment telemetry exists until operations are confirmed.
Governance
Who approves, reviews and stays accountable for outcomes?
Separate marketing of “first commercial Flex deployment” from public-record construction status in board and utility materials.
Security and privacy
What data, permissions and controls need testing?
None primary; future grid-signal integrations will create OT dependencies.
Accessibility and workforce
Who is affected, and what skills or accommodations follow?
None stated.
Procurement
What should contracts, pricing and exit terms secure?
Do not treat Aurora as an operating reference site in RFPs until primary energization evidence exists.
Operating model
Which teams own the service once it runs?
Flexible AI factory operating models remain design-forward until commercial sites publish live curtailment results.
Publication history
- 2026-09-21NVIDIA · Issue 168 resources
Stable resource ID: suedatacenters-aurora-manassas-96mw-status-202609