As artificial intelligence infrastructure initiatives gather momentum, are we about to see energy stocks taking center stage in supporting the US buildout?
Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs Commodities Research forecasted that US data center power demand is set to more than double from 31 GW in 2025 to 66 GW in 2027, owing to an accelerating buildout of AI infrastructure.
Global AI investments are expected to exceed $1 trillion annually for the first time in 2026, with US hyperscalers set to play a dominant role in the buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure, spending around $800 this year in the process, according to the consensus of analyst estimates.
These strong ambitions for the US artificial intelligence buildout is likely to create a series of winners and losers, with energy and power infrastructure stocks expected to be one of the strongest beneficiaries of the AI boom over the long term.
There are many reasons why energy will be directly impacted by the AI boom, and the training of models and widespread expansion of data centers is expected to drive unprecedented electricity constraints that will drive demand higher and create fresh opportunities for sector innovators.
As a result, the investment landscape is shifting from pure software and chipmakers towards companies that supply, generate, and manage the electric grid.
The Next AI Bottleneck
The energy sector is already contending with a series of geopolitical headwinds, particularly stemming from the war in Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but it’s likely to be the artificial intelligence boom that leaves a lasting impact on the industry.
To contextualize the disruptive power of AI on US energy firms, a single artificial intelligence-driven query consumes around 10 times more electricity than a traditional web search.
This makes energy grid demand a key concern that’s set to be central to the AI buildout. Securing a standard connection to the electricity grid for a new data center campus can also take several years, which would be unacceptable for hyperscalers focused on outpacing rivals as part of their expansion strategy. These delays are down to aging infrastructure and equipment shortages, which would only contribute to the backlogs that energy leaders are likely to face as we delve deeper into building tangible AI infrastructure throughout the United States.
Emergence of Alternative Power
We’re already seeing evidence of data center operators opting to bypass grid delays by adopting their own ‘Bring Your Own Power’ (BYOP) microgrids.
These BYOP electricity grids can help more AI hyperscalers to democratize their own energy, bypassing traditional grid constraints and controlling their access to flexible forms of power.
There are also some stocks that are already winning big because of the BYOP boom. One leader in this particular field is Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE), which posted growth of 206.72% in the first half of 2026 alone.
Bloom’s solid oxide fuel cells have the potential to generate electricity on-site using natural gas without combustion. Tech giants like Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) have already brokered massive gigawatt-scale capacity contracts, driving the firm’s projected 2026 revenue up to between $3.4 billion and $3.8 billion.
Artificial intelligence is forming a symbiotic relationship with growing data center energy demands, and the emergence of AI tools in construction management is making the development of off-grid power solutions far more efficient and straightforward to build.
This is due to advancements in AI forecasting within construction technology, where automation tools can make it far easier for teams to manage data and complete projects quicker to support an acceleration in data center demands.
Another stock that’s more than doubled in value since the beginning of 2026 thanks to increasing AI energy demands is FuelCell Energy (Nasdaq: FCEL), which provides a similar level of off-grid data center energy support to assist firms with broader access to alternative energy.
Modernizing Grids
The new requirements of artificial intelligence are also causing more energy firms to upgrade their grids to manage a growing list of backlogs.
With this in mind, investors may want to track GE Vernova (NYSE: GEV), which has amassed a massive $176 billion backlog, with some data center customers already paying upfront cash just to reserve their manufacturing slots.
This massive turnaround has been driven by demand for GE Vernova’s heavy-duty gas turbine orders and electrification hardware, which has been identified by many AI firms as a strong solution to support their artificial intelligence buildouts.
Another stock experiencing a surge in orders is Eaton Corporation (NYSE: ETN), where order volumes have rallied 240% year-over-year for its critical transformers, switchgears, and power distribution units to help support the cooling of AI chips.
Energy as an AI Winner
While Wall Street still remains distracted by AI hyperscalers, the next phase of the artificial intelligence boom’s big winners appears set to be energy stocks, which will be tasked with supporting the immense power demands of the tech infrastructure buildout.
With forecasts suggesting that power requirements for AI data centers are set to more than double between 2025 and 2027, it’s clear that energy stocks will be integral to the development of the technology looking further ahead.
Investors should incorporate alternative energy solutions and off-grid electricity stocks into their analysis moving forward. Tracking the stocks that could be best-positioned to power the next generation of the AI boom today could help to become a key driver of portfolio growth tomorrow.
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