Industry review forecasts first 1 GW-class data centers in 2026 as power becomes the AI infrastructure constraint
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A TechNews Taiwan industry review expects the first data centers consuming about 1 GW of power to emerge in 2026, framing power availability as the principal constraint on AI infrastructure expansion. The review points to accelerated adoption of HVDC architectures and growing interest in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) for on-site generation.
- S1 forecasts the first data centers consuming around 1 GW of electricity in 2026; this is not confirmation of a commissioned project.
- Grid interconnection, transformer availability, power pricing and supply reliability are identified as deployment constraints in North America and Asia-Pacific.
- Rising AI rack density makes cooling a constraint on the effective use of available electrical capacity.
- S1 sees accelerated movement toward HVDC, alongside development of solid-state transformers, high-voltage UPS and BBU rack systems.
- S1 estimates IT-rack power systems at 3–5% of data-center CAPEX and total electrical infrastructure at 10–15%.
A TechNews Taiwan industry review identifies power procurement and delivery—not GPU procurement alone—as an increasingly central competitive issue for AI data centers. It forecasts that the first hyperscale facilities consuming around 1 GW of electricity could appear in 2026. This is a forecast rather than confirmation of an operational facility or a specific project.
The review highlights grid interconnection delays, transformer lead times, electricity costs and supply reliability as constraints in North America and the Asia-Pacific region. As AI rack power density rises, cooling is also becoming a separate constraint on the usable portion of available electrical capacity. In practice, securing grid capacity without a corresponding cooling strategy may limit effective IT deployment.
S1 expects a faster industry shift toward high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power architectures. It also identifies solid-state transformers, high-voltage UPS systems and battery-backup-unit racks as areas of development in data-center power infrastructure. The review presents SOFC systems as a high-efficiency local-generation option that can be deployed near data centers or industrial facilities, potentially reducing dependence on conventional grid supply. Bloom Energy and Delta Electronics are referenced in this context, but the review provides no contract, project, delivery-volume or capacity details for either company.
Under S1's cost model, IT-rack power systems account for approximately 3–5% of data-center CAPEX, while electrical infrastructure as a whole accounts for around 10–15%. These estimates indicate the scale of power infrastructure within a facility budget, although the review does not disclose its methodology, sample or absolute CAPEX assumptions.
For operators and investors, the central implication is that power availability, electrical-system design and thermal integration could become more important determinants of AI campus delivery. If the trend described by S1 continues, it could increase demand for HVDC equipment, power electronics, transformers, resilient power systems and on-site generation, while increasing the budgetary weight of energy infrastructure at new sites.
The review suggests that grid interconnection, transformer availability, electricity pricing, supply reliability and cooling are becoming material constraints on AI data-center deployment and utilization. If this trajectory materializes, competitive positioning could increasingly depend on how quickly operators secure power and integrate electrical and cooling systems, supporting demand for power electronics, HVDC equipment, transformers, backup systems and local generation.
- TechNews 科技新報 / КитайскийПервоисточник →
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