Tech & AI
Anthropic Reported to Pay $3.4bn for 1.7 GW of Gas Generators, Skipping Turbine Queue
The AI lab has reportedly taken over equipment orders from Texas supplier OnePWR Solutions to power its data centres.
HedgeWeekly Tech & AI Desk ·
Anthropic has agreed to pay about $3.4 billion for gas-fired generators with a combined capacity of 1.7 gigawatts, to supply its AI data centres, according to a Reuters report that was later picked up by the Financial Times and other outlets. A gigawatt is roughly the output of a large power station.
Rather than buying supplier OnePWR Solutions, a Texas-based company, Anthropic is reported to have taken over its existing equipment orders, which were originally placed with Caterpillar about two years earlier and needed fresh financing. The agreement was reached in late September and became public on Sunday, and it also covers engineering and construction work to install the equipment. Neither Anthropic nor Caterpillar had commented in the coverage reviewed.
The structure matters because power equipment is scarce. Average US delivery times for large gas turbines have reached about six years, with some orders running into 2030 or 2031, Tom's Hardware reported. Global turbine orders reportedly exceed 100 gigawatts against manufacturing capacity of an estimated 60 to 70 gigawatts, so inheriting a place in the queue is a way to avoid waiting at the back of it.
Why it matters: AI developers are increasingly buying their own power, not just chips and buildings. For investors, the deal points to continued demand for generator and turbine makers and their backlogs, and to rising capital intensity at the AI labs themselves, which affects how much funding they need. Watch for confirmation from the companies, where the generators will be sited, and whether rivals secure similar orders.