Overview
- GE Vernova says roughly one-fifth of its heavy-duty gas-turbine order book is for data centers and AI projects, creating multiyear lead times and bookings that extend into 2030 and 2031.
- The company reported a sharp boost in demand in Q1 2026 with total orders up 71% to $18.3 billion and $2.4 billion of electrification and data-center equipment booked in the quarter.
- Major cloud and AI operators are buying turbines for dedicated power, with Microsoft purchasing seven units for a Texas site and deployments also noted at xAI in Tennessee and OpenAI projects in Texas.
- Turbine prices have jumped dramatically, with industry estimates placing single units above $250 million and analysts saying some prices have risen as much as 300% over three years, which is raising AI capital costs.
- GE Vernova is ramping production at its Greenville plant and adding staff to speed deliveries, but the manufacturing scale and community and emissions concerns mean faster builds will still face local and environmental trade-offs.