WHO GETS PAID TO TURN AI DATA CENTERS ON
U.S. data centers above 100MW are set to explode this decade but power, interconnects and electrical infrastructure determine how much of that pipeline actually gets built:
What gets the data center online
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$GEV sits at one of hardest bottlenecks with a $176B backlog stretching into 2031 & equipment pricing already more than 20% above Q4 2025
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$VRT captures ~$3.8M per AI MW from grid to rack & is moving further upstream through UtilityInnovation Group adding behind the meter power that can bypass interconnection delays.
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$BE attacks same problem differently with onsite fuel cells letting data centers generate power without waiting years for the grid.
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$FPS sits between the substation & building through switchgear & transformers with utilization still around 30% against capacity being built to support as much as $5B of revenue.
Who already owns the power
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$IREN,
$CIFR,
$CORZ,
$APLD &
$WULF already control power and interconnects from their bitcoin infrastructure which is why IREN could go from 5MW of active AI capacity toward a 480MW target in roughly a year since the scarce asset is energized land.
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$VST owns generation already connected to grid giving it direct exposure to rising data center power demand while others wait through interconnection queues.
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$CEG pairs an already interconnected nuclear fleet with hyperscaler demand giving it one of cleanest ways to monetize 24/7 power scarcity through long term contracts.
What gets paid inside the rack
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$ON $NVTS become more important as AI moves toward 800V DC in 2028 since content per rack could rise from ~$15K toward ~$115K as more of the power conversion stack moves inside system.
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$VICR is one of purest plays on converting and delivering power efficiently close to the processor as rack densities rise.
The market can announce hundreds of new data centers but a ton of the value accrues to whoever controls the power, interconnects and electrical infrastructure required to make them operational.