The $3 Trillion Grid Upgrade AI Is Forcing — And the Companies Positioned to Win
Artificial Intelligence is not just transforming software. It is forcing the largest power infrastructure upgrade in modern history. As hyperscalers build gigawatt-scale AI data centers, electricity demand is rising at a pace unseen in decades. Utilities, regulators, and infrastructure providers are now facing a hard truth: The grid is not ready. Estimates suggest that upgrading generation capacity, transmission lines, substations, and transformer networks to support AI could require over $3 trillion globally by 2035 . This is not a temporary surge. It is a structural reset of the electrical backbone of the digital economy. Here’s what is happening — and who stands to benefit. 1. Why AI Is Breaking the Grid Model For decades, electricity demand in developed economies was relatively flat. Efficiency gains offset growth. AI changed that equation. A single large AI data center campus can require: 500 MW to 1+ gigawatt of power Continuous 24/7 electricity Massive ...