Morning Edition · Wed 14 Oct 2026
AEP Orders Up to 1.6 GW of Mainspring Generators in Deal Worth Over $4 Billion to Power AI
American Electric Power agreed to buy up to 1.6 gigawatts of small generators from Mainspring Energy to supply power-hungry customers such as data centers.
Chanan Zevin - Chief Editor and Head of Desks
Published
The deal
AEP will take an initial 190 megawatts in 2027, with an option for 200 megawatts a year through 2034, Bloomberg reported. Mainspring values the agreement at more than $4 billion.
Why it matters
Utilities are turning to on-site generation because grid connections for new data centers can take years. What to watch: whether other utilities sign similar orders, and how regulators treat the cost of these units in customer rates.