The competition among AI companies in the United States is shifting from graphics processing units (GPUs) to power generation. Anthropic has secured a large quantity of gas turbines, while SpaceX is moving forward with plans to build its own power plant in Texas. Following the recent midterm elections, the Democratic Party, which gained control of both the House and Senate, is accelerating regulations that would impose costs on AI data centers (AIDCs) for expanding the power grid.
According to the IT industry on November 10, Anthropic acquired a 1.7 GW gas turbine order from energy equipment company OnePWR, originally placed with Caterpillar, for $3.4 billion (approximately 4.6 trillion won) at the end of September.
Anthropic has secured its place in the production queue and design and installation services from Caterpillar, while OnePWR's corporate entity and employees were excluded from the acquisition. This is the largest single purchase of power generation equipment by a known AI research lab. It is interpreted as a strategy to reduce power procurement time by acquiring an already secured production slot, as new orders can take years for delivery.
SpaceX is pursuing a project to build a gas-fired power plant and supercomputing facility at its Starbase site in Texas. According to a public notice from the city, the initial investment for the project is approximately $24 billion (about 32.3 trillion won), with SpaceX planning to construct, own, and operate the facility.
The city council is set to review tax incentives and development agreements on December 9. Industry insiders explain that having its own power plant would allow SpaceX to bypass the years-long wait to connect to the Texas power grid.
As competition intensifies among big tech companies to secure power plants, prices for power generation equipment are rising sharply. UK market research firm Wood Mackenzie forecasts that demand from data centers will drive gas turbine prices to $600 per kilowatt by the end of 2027, a 195% increase from 2019. GE Vernova, one of the world's largest gas turbine manufacturers, reported a backlog of 116 GW as of its second-quarter earnings announcement on July 22.
The competition for power procurement is intertwined with increased regulatory discussions following the elections. Of the 41 local ballot measures held alongside the recent midterm elections, 40 rejected data center proposals, with some Democrats campaigning on halting new projects after winning control of Congress and the Texas governorship.
A bipartisan energy permitting bill (BAAJA) introduced by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers is further intensifying the urgency for AI companies to secure power. The bill mandates that new data centers with a power demand of 20 MW or more bear the costs of expanding the power grid. The Senate passed the bill on November 9 with a vote of 73 in favor and 25 against, and a final vote is expected on November 16.
If enacted, the bill would require data centers to pay for the costs of additional generation, transmission, and distribution facilities they create, in addition to transmission fees. U.S. power market consulting firm Grid Strategies estimates that data centers could incur $55 billion (approximately 80 trillion won) in transmission costs over the next decade, with $35 billion (about 51 trillion won) representing an increase over current regulations.
The bill also allows state governments to classify data centers under separate rate categories and require them to procure their own power. Former President Donald Trump has urged for the bill's passage, and it has garnered support from clean energy and oil and gas industry groups, suggesting that AI companies will increasingly seek to secure their own power plants instead of relying on the grid.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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